Of Dragons And Devils
by TheBlackRyuubi
Summary: Derek Hamilton, heir of a powerful family, ladykiller and this generation's Red Dragon Emperor, follow him in his path to establish himself as the greatest dragon of all time.
1. Homecoming

**A/N: Yo lads! This is a story I had planned before TBE but as I said on the other story, I'm not so sure whether I'll continue it or not, so I've decided to post the first chapter so you guys can let me know whether you'd like to see this story completed or not, just leave your comments and if I see enough interest from you I'll continue it. Be warned though, this story will be a second priority, meaning that if I do continue it, it will be updated less frequently.**

 **Now before you begin reading the story, there are some thing you must know.**

 **This story does not has Issei as its protagonist. Don't get me wrong, I like the bugger, he's funny and I really like him as a character, but the story I have in mind it's not fit for him as a protagonist. There are thing that I don't like about DXD, its over pervertedness for one, I mean yeah, I love tits as much as any healthy guy but DXD just takes it too far, I mean, Issei literally gets his power from breasts, that's just too much. This story is more mature and I know it may sound hypocritical from me when this story literally begins with a lemon but I don't want this one to be about a perverted boy, there will be sex but it will be a more mature sex.**

 **The location and overall culture of the setting has completely been changed, meaning that the story does not takes place in Japan, I have moved it into a more familiar location simply because I don't want to go to the trouble of investigating things about Japan. So the location, the language, the Academy, the cultures, some names and the overall setting, it's completely set in Europe, my continent. The only names or characters that I didn't acclimated to a new background are the ones specified to be Asian in cannon, characters like Tsubaki for example have not lost their ethnicity, but characters like Kiba HAVE, so bear that in mind when you read this. If you do not like this, then turn back right now.**

 **Ages have also been changed in this story, Rias is 23, already in her third year of College. This is because as I said, I want this story to be more mature, so it will revolve around their college years.**

 **As I said in the first point, this story revolves around an OC, I'll give you lads a little summary so you can known him a bit. His name is Derek Hamilton, he's 22, English and comes from a powerful family, he's basically royalty. He's also averse to commitment and as cold as ice, but he is also the most loyal friend you can get, he's a dragon so he is as protective as any other dragon. Yes I have used my real name simply because I had no mind to think of another one at the time, you're basically about to read my fantasy DXD world with me as its protagonist. I hope you lads like British protagonists, know that I will portray my countrymen as we truly are, a bunch of uncouth pricks.**

 **That's it, so let's go.**

"Derek" - Normal Speech.

 _'Derek'_ \- Thought.

 _"Derek"_ \- Derek mentally speaking.

 **"Ddraig"** \- Ddraig/Albion speaking through the Sacred Gears/Divinities talking.

 _ **"Ddraig"**_ \- Ddraig speaking inside Derek's mind.

* * *

 **Homecoming**

"Ah… ah… D-Derek… a-ah… ri-right there…" The sound of a moaning woman reverberated throughout the whole room while speaking in her native Czech. The woman was around her forties but she had the look of a twenty year old, her long brown hair was splattered all over her desk and the only thing the beautiful woman was wearing were her stockings and her panties that were hanging from her right ankle. She was currently embracing tightly the object that was supplying her with untold amounts of pleasure, pleasure she could only feel from the young man inside her arms and body.

"Ah dammit… f-for someone who a-already had children… you're a-as tight as e-ever, Ilona…" A masculine voice that spoke in the same language said while increasing his pounding over the delighted woman, making the sounds of skin clashing against skin reverberate even louder.

"A-Ah… s-shut up… yo- ah… y-you're seriously making me c-consider leaving m-my husband for you…" The now identified Ilona said while tightening her embrace before she kissed the handsome man fiercely. They then separated and she couldn't help but feel enamoured by the unworldly handsomeness of the youth currently pounding her vagina with reckless abandon. The young man had a beautiful and rare natural dark-silver tint on his short hair, deep blue eyes, a face carved by the finest Greek sculptors and a body that looked like it belonged to a professional athlete, he was simply irresistible, so much so that she didn't even felt bad for constantly cheating her husband with the youngster.

Derek just gritted his teeth at that, she sounded genuinely willing to leave her family for him, a thing that he of course was not okay with. Not because he thought it wrong since he was right now having sex with the owner of the club he's been working as a bartender for the past seven months, six of which he has been sleeping with the married woman, obviously taking away any kind of moral ground from him. The reason for his distaste at such thing is because he is averse to commitment, he's content with providing pleasure to the opposite sex whenever a female approaches him, that is his thing, the man that fulfils their carnal desires, not the one they came to with their troubles. Sure, he was a loyal and caring friend, even if his usual cold demeanour spoke against it, but when it came to commitments, he sucked badly.

"A-Ah… baby!… I-I'm t-there!" Ilona then screamed while scratching his back with her long nails painfully, she was also arching her back while throwing her head against the desk and locking her legs behind his butt to stop him from releasing outside of her. Then, in a silent scream, she released her own sexual liquids all over the silverette's mid-section, delicious a delicious shiver running all over her excited body as she came.

Derek just grunted while biting lightly the nipple of the middle-aged female before he released his own fluids inside the awaiting womb of the brunette, not worrying a bit since he already knew that the woman was infertile due to her age.

The pair then just slumped on the desk, with Ilona catching her breath while gently caressing the back of the young man who was resting his body on top of hers, his face trapped between her arms and her breasts, "Oh… M-Mr Hamilton… _gigigi_ … a-always showing m-me that 'Employee of the month' vigour…" Ilona said in between breaths, basking in the afterglow of their actions.

Derek just snorted at her words before he detached himself from her body and walked away towards his clothes, clothing himself back while wincing when he saw Ilona's needy eyes, not feeling comfortable with the attachment the woman appears to have developed, "Don't give me that look, we've already been fucking for almost two hours, people will suspect…" He huffed at that, knowing that the club's workers already had the suspicion, "Even more than that they already do, that is."

Ilona just pouted while getting herself up on a sitting position on the edge of her desk, looking down at her lap and feeling aroused again when she saw the evidence of their misdeed flowing out of her core, but said arousal collapsed the moment she remembered that the young man was not interested in any kind of attachment. She knows well he sleeps with many, including some of her own employees, but she had that slight hope that he might one day change and magically say _I want to be with you Ilona_ , a dream yes, but a girl can dream. She shook her head to rid her mind of her slight depression before she commented, "Y-Yeah… I'll clean here, so you can go home now." She sent a small sad smile at the silverette.

Derek just sighed at seeing her depressed look, he knows that she feels hurt but he really just didn't have it in him to stay in one place with one person. But still, he genuinely cares for Ilona, so he walked towards her and gave her a small yet tender kiss on her cheek before he headed towards the door of the office to leave a stunned Ilona grabbing the cheek he kissed looking at the door as it closed, sighing dreamily as the man that made her feel like a teenager again promptly disappeared.

After he stepped out of the room, he closed the door and sighed tiredly once again while pressing his forehead on the door, _'What is this goddamn feeling?…'_ He was feeling a strange nervousness creeping inside his body, as if his gut was telling him that something bad was about to happen.

 ** _"_** ** _Perhaps you're falling for the female inside."_** A divine voice then said inside his mind, the voice was rough and had an amused glint in it, seemingly entertained by the silverette's dilemma.

That's right, Derek Hamilton is no normal male. He's the possessor of a Sacred Gear, an artefact gifted to those with human blood created by the Biblical God himself so that humans have a chance to fight back against supernatural and/or divine beings. Even so, his Sacred Gear was even rarer than the rest, his was, according to the being it guarded, a Longinus, simply put, a god-tier class Sacred Gear that holds the power to bring even the strongest of Gods down. Inside his, resides the soul of an ancient beast, a god-class dragon that required the many mythologies around to unite in order to stop him from his enraged rampage, the soul that was now intertwined to his, practically making him a two in one existence, is the soul of the ancient Welsh Dragon, Y Ddraig Goch.

Derek discovered the existence of his power and the rest of the supernatural world at a relatively tender age, ten years old was he when he found out he was this generation's Red Dragon Emperor. He would reminisce of how he found out about it, if it weren't so damn painful to remember such event.

The Hamilton youngster just snorted before he replied mentally while walking down the stairs towards the club's bar area, _"As if, she's fantastic, but that's not it… I just feel like… something is about to change, you know?…"_

 ** _"_** ** _Then we can only wait and see."_** Ddraig replied to his partner before he went silent, seemingly on one of his regular naps.

Derek just continued his walk until he finally reached the bar, where he grabbed the rubbish bag and took it outside the club, where he threw it inside the large dustbin placed on the alley behind the establishment. He cleaned his hands after he did so and just as he turned around, he saw a limousine parked there but with the motor still running. Soon later, the door of the car opened and from it, a man that seemed to be in his early fifties walked out, wearing a dark expensive coat and had an overall gentlemen-like demeanour.

 ** _"_** ** _Well, there you go."_** The mighty red dragon mentally butt in with a bit of mirth in his voice.

 _"_ _Fuck off…"_ The young Hamilton replied before he spoke, now in his mother language, to the man who was now standing before him, "Took you long enough to find me, Charles." His voice was revealed to have an English accent while he sent the man a teasing smirk, crossing his arms and leaning coolly against the dustbin.

The now identified Charles just sighed with exasperation before he sent an appreciative glance over at the silver-haired youth, who was wearing casual marine jeans, a black buttoned shirt and was carrying on his shoulder what Charles assumed to be his bartender apron. The man looked back at the amused young man's blue eyes and questioned with his elegant British voice, "Master Derek, must you wear such… cheap… clothing?"

Derek just snorted as he replied, "Cut me some slack Charles, I'm not my grandfather."

"Mm… certainly not…" Charles then agreed with a teasing tone that made Derek twitch his eyebrows in irritation at the jab, "It matters not, we must go now, Master Derek."

Derek just sighed tiredly while massaging his temples, saying with clear annoyance etched in his voice, "I have no choice now do I?…" Charles just shook his head in no, making the silverette groan in defeat before he added, "Alright then, let me say my goodbyes."

Charles nodded and stepped aside to allow Derek to go inside the club and say his goodbyes. It took the silverette some minutes to come out again, but once he did, Derek nodded at Charles who dutifully opened the door of the limousine for the silverette and then stepped inside after him, urging the driver to begin their ride.

Once in the car, Derek served himself a glass of the whisky placed on a mini-bar inside the vehicle, sipping it delightedly before he inquired, "Alright then, what does the old man wants?"

Charles was currently sitting in a proper manner while looking at the silverette with a little bit of amusement, knowing that the young man he has been caring for ever since he was a kid was going to be mad at the news, "Master Jonathan wishes for you to go to college, young Derek." He just smiled charmingly while seeing the now annoyed youngster.

Groaning loudly in protest, Derek quickly declared his disagreement, "What!? What the hell for!? And why, oh why should I even listen to him!?"

"Master Jonathan has expressed his desire for you to return to your rightful place as the Hamilton heir, he has already allowed you to wander around the world for twelve years, so now, he wishes for you to return to your studies so you can be ready to take over his place in the Hamilton family once he retires." Charles explained calmly, still a little bit amused at the young Hamilton's displeasure.

"For fucks sakes…" Derek muttered while reclining his head on his seat, looking at the roof of the car before he brought his gaze back towards his family's attendant to say, "What about Alice? John? Matthew? Fuck, even Emily for god's sakes? Why not any of them or the youngest? Why me?"

Charles then used a chiding tone when he replied, "Now, now young Derek, you very well know that while your older cousins are smart, save for young Emily of course, they are still too… bratty… for taking such important role…" Charles sighed before he continued, "Your sister, while being even smarter than you, is too kind-hearted to take on the spot as the Matriarch. The youngest are still, well, young, for such role…" He then gestured at Derek as he continued, "You however are not only smart, you are also cunning, fierce and strong willed, you don't cower not even under Master Jonathan's gaze, that makes you the only one capable to deal with the family's… darkest… allies and businesses, things that none of your cousins nor sister can do."

Derek just cursed himself mentally, he couldn't really refute those words because he knows what being the patriarch of the Hamilton family, one of the most powerful and influential families in the world, means. The fact that the family also has some questionable businesses and allies makes him the perfect candidate to take the place as the next patriarch, even if he didn't wanted.

"We are here, young master." Charles then claimed before he stepped out of the limousine and held the door open for Derek.

Derek nodded his thanks and walked out of the car to see that they were in Prague's airport, where one of the Hamilton family's private jet was waiting for them. Still annoyed, he walked at it none the less and boarded it, not really bothering to get any of his belongings since he really didn't had anything of importance. Plus, the house he was staying at belonged to him anyway, so there was no problem in leaving his things here.

Charles walked inside the jet and took the seat in front of Derek as he said, "You should take a short nap young master, I can see you… exhausted… yourself with your… activities."

Derek just chuckled at Charles knowing that he just had sex, but not really able to deny it, he just nodded his head and closed his eyes, already knowing that his life was about to take on a troublesome route.

* * *

"Ah… Charles… this ain't London, mate." Derek muttered with confusion after his family's private jet landed on the airstrip. He could see the city they arrived to from the jet's window and knew that they were not in England.

Charles just opened the door of the limousine waiting for them inside the airport and after the two got inside the car, explained, "That is because your grandfather is not in London young master, we are currently in Luxembourg City."

Derek just narrowed his eyes in confusion since he believed that they were to arrive at London, so making his confusion known, he inquired, "Luxembourg City? The fuck are we doing in Luxembourg?"

Charles just chuckled a little before he answered his young charge's question, "This is where you will be attending college, your grandfather is already here, waiting for you at your new house."

The young Hamilton just felt more confused, so asked, "Here? Why here? I would have guessed that he wanted me to go to UCL, ICL or even KCL, you know, so he could keep an eye on me back in London."

"It was indeed a possibility, but it appears that Master Jonathan felt it necessary to send you to a new place, since he was worried that your… acquaintances… back in London would be a distraction for you, young Derek." Charles explained.

Derek just sighed tiredly while looking at the beautiful capital city of Luxembourg, he had no real problems with this since he really didn't have many acquaintances anymore, only those with whom he find it easy to truly trust, so he really only had two or three people he may call 'friend' back in London, people he had almost ten years without any sort of contact, "The name of the school I'm going, what is it?" He then asked when he looked back at the grizzly-haired man.

"Ah yes…" Charles responded before he grabbed a little flier he had kept in the pocket of his expensive coat and once he got it, the old man handed it to Derek and added, "You are going to 'Luxembourg Academy', an affordable high-class school."

Derek looked at the small pamphlet in his hand and examined it intently, he read it for some moments before he commented, "It used to be a girls-only Academy just a year ago, why the change?"

Charles just shrugged his shoulders as he replied, "I'm afraid I don't have the information you seek, young master, I believe that perhaps, they needed more money to be able to compete with the rest…" Charles then looked at the big medieval yet elegant building their car just passed by and added, "Lady Eleanor wanted you to attend to University of Luxembourg, she wanted you to be around your fellow royalty youth, but Master Jonathan said that you would get even angrier, seeing that you hate everything considered royalty."

Derek just snorted with a smirk, somewhat happy that his grandmother did not get her wish of sending him to a renowned university where most of the royal children and heirs of powerful families attend to, "Damn right I would, I fucking hate those pompous asses, I rather go to a normal school, less tenuous." He muttered as he eyed the flier again.

Charles just sighed tiredly, already used to the youngster's less than approachable attitude, "Yes, Lady Eleanor was most regretful…" He then saw that the limousine had stopped and after the driver opened the door for them, Charles declared, "Well Master Derek, we are here."

Derek got out of the car after Charles and there outside, he saw his new home. A cosy yet a little big house painted in white, two floors, a medium sized front yard but he could see that there was a bigger backyard by looking at the small paths by the sides of the house. The house really looked expensive and there was a black BMW parked inside the garage that had a fancy glass door, " _Sigh…_ At least he didn't built me a fucking mansion…" Derek muttered, a little annoyed by the fanciness since he has spent the last twelve years living in small apartments, sometimes even sharing them with someone else.

Derek then started to walk towards the house since he knew that his grandfather was probably inside waiting for him, but before he opened the front yard door, Charles said, "Master Derek… it is good to see you again, my boy." He looked back to see a smiling Charles who just this once broke his attendant-self to call him the way he used to when he was a kid.

"It's nice to see you too, you old fool." Derek said back with a small smile, he missed the old man as well since it has been ten years since he last saw him and he has always been like a father to him.

After the nice goodbye with his family's butler, he walked inside the yard and soon made his way towards the front door, opening it to walk inside the house and see that it was quite luxurious with its white walls and grey ornaments, noticing that it was furbished with top quality furniture. He made his way towards the lounge where he came across an extremely elegant man who seems to be in his late fifties.

The man, strangely, had midnight black hair with no trace of grey in it whatsoever as the people his age usually have, he still retained a handsome and manly face and was exuding an intimidating presence of power, not physical nor mystical, but political power. He was wearing a black expensive suit and had a dark-grey rain coat over it, he was reading a paper while he drank a cup of what Derek could detect by smell as green tea, his grandfather's favourite. This man was Jonathan Hamilton, patriarch of the Hamilton family and one of the five most powerful men in the world.

"Ah son, you're finally here." The man greeted before he stood up and walked towards the silverette to hug his grandson whom he hadn't seen in almost six years now.

"Yeah, it's good to see you too, Pops." Derek greeted back while returning the hug with a small smile, even if he didn't show it, he was a little happy to see the old man.

Jonathan then released the hug and made his way back to the couch he was previously sitting on and after he placed his butt back on the comfy seat, he spoke, "I guess you have many questions for me?"

Derek just took off his rain coat, sat on a single sofa and sighed tiredly, not really knowing what to ask since he was still a little annoyed by the whole ordeal, so after some seconds of silence, he began, "Well, what the hell old man? I'm not interested in taking your place, you should let John do it, I'm a dragon, being a patriarch will cage me and dragons hate cages."

Jonathan just sighed, already expecting the small outburst. He just replied with a calm tone in his elegant voice, "That may be, and while John would make a good patriarch as well, he lacks what it takes to plant face to our most… dangerous… allies. And you said it yourself, you're a dragon, the apex predator of us all, your mere presence demands respect and that is the most important thing to lead our family." Jonathan was not speaking metaphorically, he knew who his grandson was and what is sealed inside him, he knows very well because one of the Hamilton's dangerous allies he just mentioned, are one of the royal devil families of the Underworld.

Derek just sighed in defeat, already knowing that there was no way to convince his grandfather to change his mind. But, he still asked one last time, "There's no possible way for you to drop it, right?"

Jonathan just chuckled a little as he took a sip of his tea before he replied, "No Derek, I already allowed you to roam free for twelve years…" He could see that his grandson was about to retort with something, so Jonathan added quickly, "Even if four of those twelve years you officially spent them on the military, you still had free reign on where to go, a reign you certainly took advantage of…" Derek just snorted at that, not really having anything to retort those words with, so Jonathan continued, "But now is time for you to take your responsibility as the heir."

"You do remember that I'm adopted, right?" Derek countered, a small sour tone in his voice present.

Jonathan just sighed annoyed when he stood up and walked towards the silver-haired Hamilton, he bumped him hard on the head once he reached him before Jonathan said, "It doesn't matter if you don't have the Hamilton blood, you have our values and traditions, you were raised in this family ever since you were five months old, so stop your whining."

Derek just massaged his sore head but nodded none the less, knowing that while he didn't have the Hamilton blood, he was a Hamilton through and through, "Alright then, I get it, I'll go to college here."

Jonathan just smiled a little as he said, "Good…" The patriarch then turned towards the glass door that leads to the backyard and staring at the view, he added, "Be wary though, this city and country are in Devils' control, they surely already noticed your presence, so the probabilities that the heiress of this land…" Jonathan massaged his chin as if thinking before he continued, "Rias Gremory, that's the name of the heiress according to Solomon. She will surely approach you since she is a student of Luxembourg Academy as well…" He then turned to look at Derek and ordered, "Keep your status as this generation's Red Dragon Emperor hidden for now, it will attract attention and I know you hate attention. But if you do decide to entangle yourself with the heiress, then make sure the family gets something out of it."

Ah, there it is, the cunning and somewhat evil side of Jonathan Hamilton, a man that has the power to start World War Three at his mere word since one of his children is the Supreme Commander of NATO's forces, not to say that he was the Supreme Commander of the UK's Royal Army. He is so powerful that the devil he had a contract with was none other than Solomon Agares, the Lord of the Agares clan, one of the most powerful and influential clans in Devils' society, it's why Jonathan is so informed on the supernatural world. That also played part in Derek telling his grandfather the truth about him, simply because while Jonathan is a devious man who always looks for weaknesses to exploit in both enemies and allies, he's also brutally honest, so much so that if he wanted to kill you he would tell you face to face and do it himself. Honesty is one of the things that Derek valued the most and that is why his grandfather is one of the few he genuinely trusts.

"Decide to? You have no problems with me turning into a devil?" Derek then asked with his silver eyebrow raised, really surprised at those words.

Jonathan just shrugged his shoulders as he replied, "I really don't care, it is your life and your decision. The only thing I care and that I will force you to do is to not forget your family, you may turn into a devil, an angel, a fallen angel or whatever you wish, as long as you protect our family, I do not care."

Derek just chuckled a little, finding it really amusing yet relieving to see that his grandfather still allowed him to make his own decisions, somewhat. He turned back to the Hamilton patriarch and relented, "Fine, I'll be careful, I really doubt I'll join either side since it will practically be the same as caging myself, but I'll keep an eye out for the Gremory girl, she's a devil so she will obviously have devious motives."

Jonathan nodded while saying, "Indeed, while sometimes said motives are not really harmful for the rest, they are still creatures of deceit…" He then began to walk towards the door and after fixing his coat, turned to look at his grandson from his shoulder and said, "I must return to London now, I'm sure you'll fit in right away, so I'll let you acclimate to your new surroundings. Your sister is eager to see you by the way, so she will undoubtedly come here one day."

Derek just chuckled fondly at that, remembering the only person he has ever truly shown any kind of genuine love, his little sister, "It's okay, just give her a key to the house…" He then stood up and walked his grandfather outside to the limousine and said before he left, "Give grandma a hug from me."

Jonathan nodded and with that, he urged the driver to get a move on and soon, left the premises. Derek just stood there, looking at the distancing car before he looked back at his new house and after a heavy sigh, muttered, "So fucking troublesome."

* * *

"Fucking… hell…" A clearly annoyed voice was heard saying inside a luxurious room. The voice belonged to a drowsy silver-haired youth who was currently trying to blow a big stream of fire towards his alarm clock, the responsible of his morning plight.

 ** _"_** ** _Turn that damn thing off already."_** Ddraig then mentally said to his partner, clearly angered by the constant noise.

Derek just reluctantly sat on his bedside and smashed the annoying alarm clock with his left fist, he could already tell that he was a little late but he just didn't give a damn, "Fucking school." He uttered while scratching his head.

He stood up and headed towards the shower where he merely washed his body and hair and left without wasting more time. After his five minutes shower, he grabbed the Academy's uniform and snorted out, "I'm definitely not using all these rubbish." The uniform consisted of a black blazer with white accents, a white long-sleeved button-down shirt with vertical linings, a black ribbon on the collar, matching black pants and brown dress shoes.

 ** _"_** ** _Too much white."_** Ddraig commented, showing his displeasure towards the colour.

Derek chuckled as he said, "True…" Thanks to him being the Red Dragon Emperor, Derek couldn't help but inherit some of his partner's traits.

The young Hamilton just wore the black pants and the blazer, with a crimson coloured shirt underneath it and a pair of black and white sneakers. With that, he headed downstairs and grabbed his car's keys, he went to the garage and got inside the black automobile and headed off towards his new school.

It took him roughly twenty minutes, meaning he already lost the first class, but once he got there, he saw that the place was huge, there were many buildings inside the huge campus, four particularly bigger than the rest, "Must be the Elementary Building…" He said while walking by a medium sized building with many kids running around, "Secondary and Upper School are together I see…" He added while now passing by a big building with teenagers inside, looking at him intently, "Fucking hell… fangirls…" He muttered annoyed after already hearing the squeaks and giggles of the teenagers and some of the seniors passing by him. He then finally arrived to the biggest building, a huge castle-like place with a medieval look yet elegant, "This must be the University Building." He muttered while looking at his surroundings.

"Yes it is, are you new to this school?" A feminine voice then said behind him, making him turn around to face a young bespectacled woman with slim figure, black hair styled in a short bob cut and violet eyes. At her side, was another girl although taller than the first one, bespectacled as well, with long straight black hair that extends all the way down to her knees, with split bangs and light brown eyes, the female in question had a more mature body than the one that spoke, but Derek could tell that she was even more reserved.

 _'_ _So there is another high-class devil here, huh?…'_ Derek thought while looking at the two blackettes who were looking at him with huge interest, he already knew them to be devils due to their distinctive smell of tainted energy and sulphur. He just smirked charmingly at them, making them both blush lightly, before he answered, "Yeah, today is my first day although I'm going straight to second year."

The high-class devil looked at him a little before she commented dryly, "You're almost an hour late."

Derek just shrugged his shoulders as he replied uncaringly, "So?…" He then walked a little closer and asked, "Who are you anyway?"

The woman in question shook her head a little to rid her mind of the strange attraction she just felt before she answered the question, "A-Ah right… _ahem_ … I am Sonia Scholz, Student Council President…" She gestured towards her companion and added, "This right here is my Vice President, Tsubaki Shinra." The female in question just bowed politely, revealing her Asian traditions.

Derek just nodded slightly before he replied, "I'm Derek Hamilton, nice meeting you."

The two girls then went a wide-eyed before the identified Tsubaki declared, "Derek Hamilton!? From THE Hamilton Family!?…" The silverette just nodded with a raised eyebrow, prompting her to continue with a stutter and a cute blush, "I'm sorry is j-just… u-umm…"

Seeing that her companion was having difficulties, Sonia decided to explain their surprise when she said, "The news that the heir of the Hamilton family was coming here to Luxembourg to study reached the whole country, y-you are umm… a very s-sought out man… _ahem_ … our surprise is because we all thought that you would be attending UL, not here."

Derek just grunted before he responded, "And be around a bunch of spoiled brats? No thanks, I like simple things and plus, this school has a very good football team, I'm not passing that up."

The two females just stared at him a little, still somewhat surprised that one of the most sought out bachelors in the world has decided to attend here. But their stiffness is not all due to the young Hamilton's handsomeness or cool attitude, half of it is due to a feeling in their devil gut telling them that he was quite a dangerous individual, not in a malicious way, but still dangerous, "V-Very well… umm… Tsubaki…" Sonia then said while cleaning her glasses, drawing the attention of her vice president, "Please escort Mr Hamilton to his classroom, I'm sure his teacher is already confused by his absence."

Tsubaki shook her head a little before she replied shyly, "R-Right…" She then walked towards the boy and urged, "P-Please follow m-me, Mr H-Hamilton."

Derek nodded and began to follow the girl while he sent an unnoticeable sidelong glance at Sonia, who was intently watching his back, undoubtedly already knowing that he was not normal, "Tsubaki, call me Derek, I hate the 'Mr' thing." He said to the shaky girl, who nodded a little timidly at him.

As they walked through the building, he sighed tiredly when he could already hear the excited murmurs of the girls and the silent threats of the boys, but as he walked past a stairway, something at the top caught his attention. A beautiful red-haired blue-eyed buxom girl alongside an equal beauty with dark hair and violet eyes, they were both intently looking at him, almost as if they were trying to stare at his bare soul, their gazes were not ill intended though, but curious, _'That must be the Gremory heiress and her right hand man… girl…'_ He thought after taking away his eyes from theirs.

The pair walked for some minutes until they finally arrived at a door where Tsubaki turned to look at him and said, "W-Well M… um… I mean… D-Derek… _ahem_ … this is your classroom, please go inside and refrain from further lateness."

"Yes mommy." Derek said to the now embarrassed girl who quickly made her way towards who knows where. Derek knocked on the door and at the sound of a feminine _come in_ , he opened it and made his way inside the classroom.

The teacher was a little startled at seeing the new student that was supposed to arrive today, she had thought that he was not going to show up but here he was, an hour late, standing nonchalantly in all his handsome glory, _'C-Control yourself, w-woman…'_ The teacher then chided herself for starting daydreaming about her new student. She regained her control though and said, "A-Ah, you must be the new s-student, though, could you e-explain why the tardiness?"

Derek just shrugged before he answered without a care, "New country, new time zone, new environment, no want to come…" The teacher looked baffled at the boy's lack of care as well as the class who were looking at him eagerly, "I'm surprised to see you all speaking English, I would have thought I'd had to speak in French, learn German or Luxembourgish." He then said, genuinely surprised to see that the Academy's official language seemed to be English, convenient indeed.

The teacher coughed slightly before she replied, "Ah yes, well… umm… E-English is the official worldwide b-business language, so we all speak it here in the Academy…" The female instructor then requested, "Could you please introduce yourself to the class and me? My name is Claire Deulofeu, your new teacher." She nodded with a smile in greeting.

"Sure…" Derek replied while sending a charming smirk at the blonde good looking teacher before he turned towards the class and introduced himself, "My name is Derek Hamilton, nice to meet you all, I guess…" The whole room then stayed quiet, even the teacher seemed surprised at the revelation of his name, so seeing the surprise, the silverette inquired annoyed, "What the hell is with your surprised looks?"

It was a brunette girl who answered his question when she managed to break herself out of her stupor and said with a little stutter, "A-Amm… well… is j-just that… y-your arrival to the capital w-was quite e-expected, although, w-we all thought y-you would go to UL…"

His teacher then added with some meek in her voice, "Y-Yes, it does seems a m-more… umm… fitting place f-for someone of your s-stature."

Derek just sighed annoyed at that and said, "My stature? I'm a fucking twenty-two years old boy who loves football, music and pizza, I may belong to a powerful family, but I'm not a fucking Prince, neither of you are below me or above me."

They all got even more surprised at that, since they've had some contact with the royalty from the University of Luxembourg in the past, they had thought that he was arrogant like the rest but here he was, clearly speaking and asking to be spoken to as a normal guy, even cursing in the middle of class, unknowingly earning him more points in the eyes of the female population who were already drooling all over him.

"A-Alright… umm… c-can you take a s-sit over there?" Claire then directed while timidly pointing at a clear desk beside a window at the back of the classroom, just how he likes it.

Derek did as told and made his way towards his new seat, ignoring all the looks he was receiving, especially the ones from two boys who seem to hate him religiously. He just slumped on his seat and watched the cute teacher do her job, smirking a little whenever she blushed after making eye contact with him.

The rest of the day for the Hamilton went on with relative tranquillity, except for lunch time where most of his female classmates asked for him to join them, which he politely refused. It was now finally that classes were over and he was tiredly making his way towards his car, once again ignoring all the awed female and hostile male looks sent his way, surely the truth of who he was has already reached the whole campus, if not the whole damned city.

"Hey, Prince." A rough voice suddenly forced Derek to stop on his tracks to look at the talker, a blond somewhat muscular man, roughly his age, maybe a year or two older, he was wearing a jacket with the Academy's football team badge etched on it, obviously a team he was a part of, with two more boys at his sides as if they were his guards. Derek could see that this blond was the Bully King around the school, probably wanting to assert his dominance.

"What is it, Vanilla Cupcake?" Derek jabbed back while looking at the blond with bored eyes, secretly placing his dragon's oppressive aura around them to scare them a bit.

Which it worked because the silverette could see that the three brutes now were a little unsure of their moves, seemingly aware of an ominous pressure creeping up their bodies. The blond leader still managed to recover his bravery when he said back, "W-Who you calling 'Vanilla Cupcake'!?"

The people that were gathering around them snickered almost silently at that, Derek could also see from the corner of his eye that the black-haired girl that stood beside the Gremory heiress earlier in the day was here present too, looking at the scene intently, but her tense muscles told him that she was willing to interfere on his defence, probably, "Who are you calling 'Prince'?" Derek replied, with more annoyance clear in his voice.

The blond guy then closed his distance almost at arm's reach before he said in between gritted teeth, "Listen you little blue-blooded prick, you're far away from your elegant territory and I don't see your guards anywhere, so you should be mindful in how you speak to the one who runs this place."

Derek just sighed annoyed before he looked at his phone to look at the time, he turned back to the angry blond and said, "Listen mate, I'm tired, hungry and sleepy, and I tend to get really, really easily riled up when I'm any of those things, so could you cordially fuck off so I can make my way to my precious bed?"

The blond was now cracking his knuckles, feeling really irritated to see that the silverette didn't even batted an eye at his threats, so wanting to show him and the gathered crowd who's boss, he walked closer and threatened, "Don't make me humil…"

The silverette cut him off however, when he warned with the same bored tone, "I'm giving you three seconds to fuck off mate, otherwise, I'm going to smash your head on that locker."

The blond felt his blood boil even hotter at the threat, but he could not understand why there was a frightening shiver running down his spine when he was looking straight at the silverette's eyes.

"One." The silverette said.

The blond brute still stood his ground but he was shaking a little, for a reason he just didn't know.

"Two." Derek continued his count while increasing his ominous presence, making sure that only he and the three stooges in front of him could sense it, he didn't wanted to alert the black-haired girl after all.

The blond's two companions tensed a little, not knowing why like their leader, were feeling like this was a really bad idea.

"Three." Derek finished, making the whole crowd gasp and cover their eyes when they saw the blond brute cocking his fist back to hit the royal youth, none of them wanted to see the handsome newcomer getting his ass kicked.

The blackette known as Akeno tensed when she saw the blond sending his fist forward, she was about to jump in and defend the silverette but went wide-eyed and gasped alongside the rest of the crowd when said silverette, out of nowhere, had already smashed the face of the blond on the locker next to them, just like he promised. The blonde crashed with such force that a big dent was left in the locker, just before the silver-haired royal let his limp body fall to the ground, clearly unconscious.

Derek looked down at the unconscious form of his would-be attacker before he walked towards his two stunned companions who tensed when the silverette approached them, "Anything else I can help you lads with?" Derek said with a bored look on his face. The two stunned brutes just shook their heads in no, affrightedly, prompting Derek to continue his walk towards his car, but he left some parting words to the two still stunned bullies, "Tell the coach that I'm joining the football team and that I want the number ten on my jersey, understood?" He then left without waiting for an answer, knowing that the two stooges would do as told.

Akeno just stared almost lustfully at the retreating form of the silverette, she was still surprised but mostly wary of him, because the speed in which he attacked the notorious main bully of the school was even faster than she, a half fallen angel half devil, could even follow, "What are you?" She just muttered as she turned back and made her way towards her club's room to inform the head devil around of the events that had just transpired.

* * *

"Ah, Sona, come on in." A melodic and posh voice said after a knock came to the room's door. The voice belonged to a beautiful crimson-haired female with blue eyes and a figure that seemed to belong to a goddess, she was currently sitting on her club president's chair, listening to the latest events of her school as told by her black-haired best friend.

The door of the club room then opened and soon, eight figures walked inside the room, revealing them to be the members of the Student Council. Sona looked around the room and saw that it was filled with the members of the Occult Research Club, a young handsome boy was drinking some tea and reading a book while sitting on one of the two couches in the room. Across him, a small girl who appeared to be no older than fifteen but Sona knew that she was just entering her nineteen's was sitting in the other couch while eating some snacks. And the last member of the ORC besides the president, was standing beside said crimson-haired president, "I see Akeno has already told you of today's… remarkable… events." Sona, aka Sonia Scholz said while walking towards her fellow devil.

"Yes, ufufufu, I was just telling Rias how manly our new boy looked at handling that brute so easily." Akeno said while giggling seductively.

Rias just looked back at Sona and questioned, "I trust you managed to find something about him?" She had asked her friend to find something about the past and the overall life of the silver-haired Hamilton because the moment he stepped in Luxembourg, her gut screamed at her that he was just what she so desperately needed to get out of her problem.

Sona grabbed a folder and gave it to Rias before she replied, "Actually no, there wasn't really that much information about him in the school records, not even in my family's records…" All the occupants in the room raised their eyebrows at that, hearing that one of the most important clans of the Underworld had no records of someone was a rare thing to hear, "Only some interesting things, a few, but quite interesting indeed."

Rias rummaged through the folder and saw that there was nothing of relevance in it, so knowing that whatever Sona found had to be from official government records, she urged eagerly, "Do tell."

Sona then took a seat on the couch, just next to the petite white-haired girl, and said, "From the beginning then. The records of his childhood are quite regular, attended Garden House School, one of the most prestigious private schools in London, not so much of a prodigy in academics, but a huge prospect in sports."

Rias nodded at that while adding, "Yes, I know that much, he was seen as the next British football superstar if I'm correct."

Sona nodded and agreed, "Yes, it is as you say…" She thanked Akeno for the tea she prepared for her and then continued, "However, his life took a dark turn at the age of ten…" Seeing that everyone, even her peerage, were intrigued by her words, she explained, "As you all know, his family has a lot of companies around the world. For what I found, his father, James Hamilton, wanted to open a subsidiary of Hamilton Industries in Brussels. When Derek was ten, the building was scheduled to be finished, so James Hamilton went personally to oversee the new building along with his wife, Elena Hamilton, and Derek himself, the strange thing though was that both of his parents died in a mysterious car accident the day before the inauguration, but that's not it, the same night that they died, Derek was apparently left with some attendants in the hotel they were staying at, a hotel that suddenly burst into flames the very same night."

They all fell silent at that, really surprised to hear such event, "An attempt on the Hamilton family?" The blond feminine male in the room asked with a soft voice.

Sona shrugged while saying, "Who knows? The only thing known is that a hundred and fifty-nine people died inside that hotel, with Derek being the only survivor, sporting some third degree burns on his body."

"Poor little thing." Akeno muttered with her palm covering her mouth, feeling really sorry for the silverette, surviving such a thing just to know that your parents are dead was quite a cruel play from fate.

"Indeed…" Sona said while sipping her tea again. She then continued, "From there on is where his story becomes strange, he completely disappeared from official records since that day, no schools, no home addresses, not even medical records of him for eight years."

Rias just leaned back on her seat and said, "Is not that surprising really, for what my brother and father told me about his family, the patriarch, Jonathan, is quite a powerful and influential man, capable to even wage war against the devils if he so wishes to." The rest of the room, save for Sona, gasped at that, they knew that humanity was indeed capable of fighting against supernatural beings but it required a huge army to do so, a man capable of doing such a thing was a terrifying thought.

"Not just that…" Sona said before she placed her tea cup on the table in front of her. She then looked at Rias and commented, "According to my father, Mr Jonathan Hamilton has a contract with none other than Lord Agares."

Now, that really made them all, including Rias, gasp loudly, a human with a contract with one of the most powerful and influential men in the Underworld spoke of a very powerful human, and not just in the human world.

"S-Sona… you said he disappeared officially from the map for eight years, that means he reappeared four years ago?" Rias then asked after releasing herself from her stupor.

Sona nodded at that and explained, "Yes, but only once and this one's the strangest…" She adjusted her glasses and continued, "He reappeared once again when he turned eighteen, I was expecting to see a report card or something the like, but the official document I found was of his induction to the S.A.S."

Sona wasn't really surprised to see that no one in the room seemed to know what that acronym meant, since she as well was confused when she found it, "S.A.S? What is that?" A monotonous almost robot-like voice then asked, belonging to the petite girl by the Student Council president's side.

Sona breathed in and then explained, "It is an acronym for 'Special Air Service', the most elite force in the UK's Royal Army, the whole world even."

Once again, the occupants in the room gasped at the information, they have heard of the special units in the armies around the world and they knew they are no joke. That also seemed to explained how he was able to so easily handle the Academy's biggest bully, "W-Well, that is surprising but not unheard of, actually, for what I know, all important families around the human world are obligated to send its members to do military service." Rias then commented after some moments of pondering.

Sona relented but added, "Yes, that is true, but you said it yourself Rias, military service, not elite training…" Seeing that they were still confused, the bespectacled devil explained further, "For what I gathered, S.A.S has no more than four hundred to six hundred members, on the surface, they are trained to deal with terrorism, covert reconnaissance, direct action, hostage rescue and homeland security, but it is also known that they are the ones in charge of the UK's black ops, such as assassinations, initiating a coup to destabilize a country or even the eradication of small communities that pose an obstacle for Britain's interests."

That seemed to have been the last nail in the coffin, the whole room was in complete shock at that, they all apparently thought that the silverette was nothing more than a regular heir of a powerful family, but as it turns out, he might actually be a trained elite assassin.

Rias then sighed before she inquired, "Is there anything else on him?"

"No, that was the last thing that I could find, not even my family has information on his missions or anything he has done for the past twelve years since he officially disappeared…" Sona answered before she stood up and walked to stand before Rias' desk and added, "Are you really sure about him, Rias? I'm not so sure is a good idea to induct him into your peerage, he doesn't seems like someone who will react kindly at such a thing, and remember that he does have enough power to retaliate."

Rias looked at her desk for some moments, she knew well that it was a big risk, and more now after hearing that he could probably be a trained elite assassin. But still, she was desperate and her heart was screaming at her that he was the only chance she had to escape her cursed fate, "I have nothing else Sona, I don't know why, but my heart would not stop telling me that he's my only chance." Rias then said with a sad smile after bringing her gaze back at the slim blackette.

Sona just sighed tiredly, but relented when she said, "If it's of any consolation, when I stood before him this morning, I actually shivered, there's something about him, not vile per say, but dangerous, I felt as if I was standing in the presence of an apex predator."

Rias did widened her eyes at that, she could also feel something mysterious yet powerful coming off from the silverette when she saw him this morning, but to hear her friend, who is quite the confident girl, to say that she actually felt threatened by a mere human, made her think that she was right about him, "Thank you for the info Sona, I owe you one." Rias spoke with an honest and grateful smile.

Sona smiled back at her friend and turned away to head to the door, she was about to leave but said from her shoulder, "You're my friend Rias and I too want to see you free and able to make your own decisions, if you truly think that he is your answer, then I will go along with your plan, as crazy and foolish as it is."

The Student Council president and her peerage then left after that, leaving a pondering Occult Research Club still somewhat confused, "Koneko, can you go and observe him for me?" Rias requested to the white-haired small girl.

The petite girl in question nodded in yes and left the room in search for her target. Rias just sat there, looking at the folder on her desk containing some of the information of the silver-haired Hamilton along with a picture of him, which she was looking at while gently tracing her fingers over it, mumbling, "Are you perhaps my answer, Derek Hamilton?…"

* * *

"Fucking groceries… you would have expected that my grandfather had left food in my goddamn fridge for at least the rest of the week…" Derek muttered with irritation while carrying three bags filled with groceries, he had to go and shop some since his grandfather had apparently forgot, or not cared at all, for filling his food supplies, hence his irritation.

He was currently walking through the streets of Luxembourg City since he decided to walk instead of drive, it wasn't really that far from his home so there was no real necessity for vehicles, plus, walking in the middle of the dusk always relaxes him, "Such a shame the store didn't have good steaks." He muttered, disappointed at the lack of quality meat.

"Umm… E-Excuse me!…" A feminine voice then drew his attention, making him turn to look at the owner of said melodic tone. The girl in question was a beautiful young woman with black midnight long hair that reaches her lower back, she has haunting violet-coloured eyes and was wearing a pink buttoned blouse that showed a good amount of her seductive cleavage, a black skirt that reaches just above her knees and was carrying a small portfolio-backpack on her hands, waving it around nervously.

 ** _"_** ** _She stinks of crow."_** The divine voice of the true Red Dragon Emperor said inside the silverette's mind, already knowing her to be a fallen angel.

 _"_ _Yeah, explains the seductiveness as well."_ Derek agreed with his partner, knowing that Fallen Angels were masters of seduction, even more so than Devils, "Yeah, what is it?" He then answered the blushing and nervous girl's question.

The blackette female was wiggling her body around nervously while looking at the ground, she breathed in heavily and then said, "U-Umm… I'm so-sorry to bother you b-but… are you p-perhaps… D-Derek Hamilton?"

Derek just raised an eyebrow as he replied, "Yeah that's me, why?"

The girl gulped and said, "Great!… u-umm… m-my name is S-Sabine and I… umm…" The girl then closed her eyes and in a sudden scream, she claimed, "I want to be your girlfriend!"

Derek just stood there frozen, completely baffled at the sudden claim, **_"This girl is weird."_** His confused dragon partner said, sharing his host's confusion.

Derek then replied while scrunching his handsome face, "What!? Nah lass, I'm alright thanks, so I'll pass." He just turned away and continued his walk back home.

Sabine stood there frozen, completely shocked at the sudden refusal, _'W-Why you…'_ She thought enraged while she made her way towards him and after stepping in front of him, she questioned angrily but still a little nervous and hurt, "W-Why not!? A-am I not g-good enough for you!?" Her eyes started to tear up, trying to guilt-trip the boy.

Derek just sighed tiredly before he explained, "No, you are incredibly beautiful and hot…" The girl blushed harshly while he continued, "But you can't just walk towards someone and ask him to be your boyfriend, that's not how it works sweetie, it might work with perverted and desperate wankers, but with real men, that just screams of crazy."

Sabine looked completely flabbergasted at his words, Derek could even see that his refusal stroke her own self confidence because for a moment there she threatened to break her fake character. But she managed to control her hurt pride and quickly returned to her cute charade when she said with tears in her eyes, "B-But… I… I c-can be a good g-girlfriend to you!… just g-give me a chance, p-pleeeeease!" She was even surprised with herself at how low was she going just to hear him say yes, _'Why am I acting like this!? I… I s-should just kill him… b-but… I r-really want him to say yes…'_ She thought with frustration creeping over her.

That was really it for Derek since he was hungry and sleepy, his patience was very thin, so said irked, "Look girl, I already told you, I'm not interested, so fuck off already mate…" He then walked past the stupefied young girl and muttered, "SportsCenter is about to begin and I'm not missing it for some crazy lass."

With those rude words, he continued his trek towards his home while whispering a strange tune that said something on the lines of '… This is… SportsCenter… tarara tarara', leaving a fuming blackette behind who could not respond for the next five minutes, "Y-You… you… h-handsome… piece of shit!" She then screamed at the winds before she took off running towards the opposite direction, already thinking on how she was going to kill that stupid, arrogant, asshole and handsome man the next time they meet.

Unbeknownst to them, or at least that's what Koneko thought, a petite white-haired girl was hidden on the trees beside the road where she was listening to the whole thing. She didn't expected him to turn down a fallen angel and so easily at that, "Wow… he's cool…" She muttered before she took off towards her home, feeling really impressed with the young man.

* * *

"Excellent game, boys…" A tall middle-aged black-haired man said to a group of panting and sweaty young boys. The man was wearing a grey suit with a small emblem on the left side of the chest-area of the jacket, the emblem was a white triangular shield with a red dragon inside and letters carved in it saying 'Luxembourg Drakes', "Now we're top of the table thanks to this result."

The boys cheered with one of them saying, "Yeah! But it's all thanks to our new Captain! Two goals and one assist! I don't know why you're not a pro, man!" The rest agreed to those words, with some patting the back of said Captain, even the bullies who got their asses handed to them by him were smiling at their team's improvement.

Said silver-haired Captain just snorted before he said, "Come on lads, football it's about team effort, we win together, we lose together."

They all cheered at those words before the coach closed in on Derek and with an arm placed around the Hamilton's shoulders, said, "Wise words my boy, but don't sell yourself short, this has been your first week with us and you've already became our main gun, keep that up and who knows, maybe next year, the pro clubs might come knocking, I know you deserve it."

Derek just smiled slightly at that while thinking a little sadly, _'Would be nice, wouldn't it?…'_ With that, he said his goodbyes to his teammates and coach and made his way towards his home, he didn't brought his car because he wanted to have his legs ready for the game, so he was calmly walking through Luxembourg's streets while enjoying the breeze.

As he walked by, a black-haired buxom girl handed him a pamphlet that said 'Ask and you shall receive' just below a strange symbol of a rose encased in a circular shape with a strange smaller symbol in the middle, all in crimson colour, _'Rias' family crest I guess, that means I'm getting attacked today huh?…'_ The silverette thought while looking at the paper before he tossed it away.

It wasn't until he was walking through a lonely park that he thought, _'About time they made their move…'_ After he thought that, Derek just calmly tilted his head to the side to avoid a fast projectile sent his way behind his back, the projectile clashed on the floor in front of him and Derek could see that it was a spear made of light, weapons most commonly used by Fallen Angels.

"W-What!? H-How did you… d-dodge that!?" A feminine voice then said, obviously stunned to see him dodge her attack so calmly and easily.

Derek turned around lazily and saw a familiar black-haired girl that was wearing a black dress like top with red trimmings, a short black skirt that reached just above her legs, loose enough to allow movement and black leather boots that reached her knees. Derek would have definitely praise the girl for her beautiful look, if she wasn't flying right now with two crow-like wings on her back, looking at him with shock, "Don't I know you, mate?" He said while tilting his head to the side and squinting his eyes as if trying to remember her.

 _'_ _T-This… fucking… a-asshole!… why d-do I like h-him so much!?…'_ The fallen angel thought while gritting her teeth harshly, she had no idea why the easy-going and cocky attitude of the silverette was attracting her so much, she would definitely jump at the chance of having fun with him if he wasn't so dangerous for her master's plan, "I'll make you remember me, you prick!" She screamed while conjuring another light spear on her hand and soon after, glided straight at him with the intention of cutting him in half.

Derek just raised an eyebrow and waited for the blackette to come close and once she was within arm's reach, he swiftly sidestepped her trajectory and jumped some steps away of the fuming girl, "Oh yeah! I member now! You're that crazy girl from four days ago…" He scratched his chin in thought before he added, "Sabrina… Sarah… Sally…"

The girl in question was fuming while sending a murderous glance towards the nonchalant young man who didn't seem to give a damn that she was trying to kill him, "Sabin, you fucking asshole!" She screamed before trying to pounce on him again.

Derek just nodded and stood there frozen, not seemingly caring for the flying girl, but just when Sabine was about to pierce him with the spear, he suddenly disappear from view, confusing the girl greatly, "What the…" She was saying before she was kicked on the butt and crashed against the ground rather violently.

She grunted and was about to get up but a foot then suddenly smashed her head on the concrete and kept her from standing up, while the silverette's voice said from above her, "Now, now Sabine, I know I rejected you and I know I'm an asshole, but I hardly believe that warrants my dead, don't you think?…" Sabine just gritted her teeth and tried to get up but was amazed and frightened to see that she couldn't move an inch, the silverette was just too damn strong, "You're far too beautiful to behave like a crazy bitch with rejection issues." He then said with an amused tone.

Sabine just gritted her teeth harsher but said with a little bit of fear slipping into her voice, "J-Just… w-what the hell… a-are you!?"

The silverette just chuckled darkly and Sabine could feel that he was taking on a kneeling position, replacing his foot with his hand which was applying equal force, "I'm someone you shouldn't have pissed off, I never cared for whatever Kokabiel wanted to do here, but now you just made it personal…" Sabine widened her eyes at his words, she never expected him to know so much about them. She was about to say something but the young handsome man added, "Now, what to do with you?"

 ** _"_** ** _Kill her."_** The Red Dragon Emperor suggested with ease, not really caring for anyone's life other than his host.

 _"_ _You want to kill everyone, D… but no, I don't see the point of killing her… she's just a puppet… probably trying to impress her superiors…"_ Derek responded while looking at the trembling girl who was still struggling with his iron grip.

 ** _"_** ** _Then use them, place her in an illusion."_** The red beast suggested something else.

Derek raised an eyebrow at that, he hasn't used his eyes for some time now but it did seemed like a good opportunity to see how long can his effect last, so grabbing the girl harshly by the hair, he brought her up and stood up while placing her in a kneeling position to say, "You're going to be my test subject, I'm sorry, it's gonna hurt, but you'll survive, I promise you that."

Sabine just looked at him in complete fear, right now she rather die than to be a test subject for whatever the silverette had in plan, but as hard as she tried to get out of his grip, she just couldn't, he was just too strong, "P-Please…" She just pleaded weakly and she could see the genuine remorse in the silverette's beautiful blue eyes before they turned into something she had thought was extinct, eyes that she read had brought so much fear to all those who faced them, eyes that caused every mythology in existence to shiver in fright, eyes that could only belong to a…

Derek closed his eyes after the girl had lost consciousness, shaking his head a little to get rid of the pain of using his eyes after such a long time. After he finally relaxed himself, he carried the girl bridal style and headed towards the forest in the park, he found a nice spot and placed the girl below a tree, letting her body rest against its trunk. He then channelled some of his energy in her and her crow wings retracted back and while caressing her cheek, he whispered, "I'm really sorry about this, but as a compensation, I'm gonna make sure you survive whatever's ahead, you can count on that."

Derek then stood up and looked at the sleeping girl before he suddenly disappeared from sight, as if he was nothing but a ghost in the park. Said park was then left in complete silence, already being late and no passers-by on sight, only the unconscious black-haired girl resting on the tree remained.

That is until a red flash appeared on the road where the fight had started and after it cleared, a figure appeared that was revealed to be none other than the Hamilton youngster, who had apparently forgot his bag with his sport stuff, "Hehe… almost forgot my uniform here… I ain't paying no goddamn spare, mate." He then once again disappeared in a red flash, allowing silence to fall onto the park.

* * *

"Umm… P-President… did it work?" A wary voice said inside the ORC room, the gentle voice belonged to a blond handsome man with an almost feminine look. He, like the rest of the occupants of the room, were a little worried for the distressed gaze on their club president and master's gorgeous face.

"I-I… think… it d-didn't…" Rias replied with an almost hollow voice. She could not believe that the silverette didn't summoned her, she knew that he was going to get attacked today and she knew that the attack had already took place because of her familiar not being able to enter the park, her plan was to let him die and then revive him as her pawn, a cruel plan indeed, but she was desperate.

"R-Rias… are y-you alright?" Akeno then asked warily while placing her hand on the red-headed female's shoulder, she was as surprised as her master to see that their plan had failed and just like Rias, she was scared of what they might have just done.

Rias clasped her hands over her mouth and with a frightened gaze, she said, "O-Oh Satan… I… I j-just let o-one of the most powerful h-heirs in the world… die…" She then started to hyperventilate while whispering 'I'm sorry' over and over again.

Akeno immediately tended to her master by rubbing the Gremory's back in a soothing manner. The blond boy was just looking at the ground with a sorrowful look and the white-haired petite girl seemed as emotionless as ever, although, if one were to look at her eyes in that moment, the regret was clear as day.

It was after some seconds that one of the other occupants of the room spoke to try and calm down her distressed red-headed friend when she said, "Rias, there's no point in losing it right now, there was no way you could have known that he wouldn't summon you."

Rias snapped back at the black-haired heiress and shouted with distress, "I-It doesn't matter, Sona!… I… I l-let him die… a-all for my own selfishness…"

Sona just sighed tiredly but she did had a sympathetic look in her eyes, she could see that the silverette's death was waging on her crimson-haired friend heavily, and she couldn't really blame her, this plan was very risky for this very same reason, "I'll inform the school of his death, they will let his family know, let's just hope that retaliation won't come." She said before she nodded at her vice president and left the room.

The ORC members were left there in shock, not really knowing what to do after this, with Rias feeling like she had just made the worst decision of her life.

* * *

"What's with the fucking looks?…" An annoyed silver-haired Hamilton muttered as he was making his way through the Academy, he, as usual, was a bit late to class but as usual as well, he didn't care. He was a little confused as well because last night he received a call from his grandfather asking him if he was dead, a question which he answered with the obvious _I'm fucking talking to you right now, what do you think?_ Apparently, the Hamilton patriarch received a call from the Academy telling him that he was believed to be dead, Derek just told him of his fight with the fallen angel and moved on with his sleep.

 _Come on in_ was heard coming off from the room in front of him, he opened the door to walk inside his classroom and was immediately greeted with surprised looks and gasps as if they were seeing a ghost. Derek just sighed tiredly and while massaging his temples, he asked, "What's with the fucking looks? Again."

It was the beautiful blonde teacher that answered his question while looking at him as if her hopes had returned all of sudden, "M-Mr Hamilton!… we… w-we all thought you… w-were dead…"

Derek just raised an eyebrow at that before a pink-haired girl further explained with watered eyes, "P-President Sonia… s-she said that you h-had died in a car a-accident just last night… but you're alive!" At that scream, his female classmates started praying and crying as if their lost love had returned, making him sigh tiredly, again.

Derek was about to say something but the door behind him suddenly sprung open and soon after, a black-haired beauty ran inside while looking around the classroom desperately. She then set her eyes on the confused Hamilton and after grabbing his wrist, said to the teacher, "Mrs Deulofeu, I-I'm sorry but I must take Mr Hamilton to the Student Council in order to clear everything out." With that, she took Derek out of the room in haste.

"B-But… I…" The blonde teacher just whispered sadly, alongside her female students, at seeing the silverette being taken away so abruptly.

* * *

"Oi!… slow down, dammit! Where the fuck are you taking me, woman!?" Derek said while being dragged around the school by the frantic half fallen angel half devil girl. He knew who the girl was, the Occult Research Club's vice president, and he had a slight inkling as to what was going on, but he still wanted to play the fool for a while.

Akeno turned to look at him and with a seductive smile that she sent his way, replied, "Don't worry handsome, we're almost there!"

The pair continued to run for some moments until they finally reached one of the other buildings in the campus. Akeno then slowed down and while still holding his wrist, she led him towards a door that had a plaque on it with the words 'Student Council Committee' written in it, they walked inside and finally Akeno released him before she went to stand beside the crimson-haired girl Derek knew was the Gremory heiress, who for some reason seemed elated and relieved to see him.

Derek just crossed his arms in front of his chest and started to look at the people present in the room, he knew them all. Beside Rias Gremory, stood Akeno Himejima, the girl that dragged him here, a girl of Japanese descent and the second most popular girl on the Academy, just behind Rias. Beside her, a blond handsome almost feminine male was looking at him with a gentle smile, the boy's name was Michael Weber. And next to the male, a petite white-haired girl of Asian descent, she was quite cute and looked like she belonged to Secondary School, not Upper School, her name is Koneko Tōjō he believes.

On the desk at the far side of his position, the Student Council president, Sonia Scholz, although Derek knew that it was not her real name, was leaning on her desk looking at him with surprise. The vice president of her council, Tsubaki, was standing by her side with equal surprise, and then just beside them, six more people stood, looking at him with the same expression. The first person was a white-haired tall girl with green eyes and hour-glass figure, Momo Hanaki. Beside her, a brunette slim girl with her hair tied in two long ponytails and brown eyes, her name is Reya Kusaka. Next to Reya, a slim girl with reddish brown hair that reach her shoulders was looking at him intently with those brown eyes of hers, if Derek remembers well, her name is Tomoe Meguri. Standing beside Tomoe, a beautiful tomboyish blue-haired girl with a fit body was looking at him with her beautiful deep blue eyes and a small blush on her cheeks, Derek knew her to be Tsubasa Yura, the hottest girl in the SC in his eyes. Right after Tsubasa, Genshirō Saji, the lone male member of the SC, a blond boy who had the aura of an arrogant fool, he had green eyes and had his arm tightly hugged by the last member of the SC, Ruruko Nimura, a short girl with brown hair tied in long twin ponytails and green eyes, all of them of Asian descent.

How does Derek knows so much about them, you ask? Simple, he is a Hamilton, and the Hamiltons are the devils of the human world, he was taught by his grandfather and father that information was the key to everything, from gathering allies, to fending off enemies, it all comes down to who knows more.

After glancing over the whole room, Rias was about to speak but Derek cut her off when he raised his left palm and said annoyed, "Alright now, care to explain, oh dear Student Council, why would you claim that I died? My grandfather was so pissed off that he was considering sending the UK to war against Luxembourg…" He saw that both Rias and Sonia flinched at that, but he continued his rambling, "And now, the whole fucking Academy is looking at me even more than regular, if regular pisses me the fuck off, imagine now how pissed off I am."

The room went quiet for a while, Derek could see that both Rias and Sonia were struggling to come up with an explanation. That is until Sonia gathered her courage and stepped forward, claiming, "Well… I-I'm sorry for all t-the trouble… is j-just that we believed that you had… died… after… umm…" She suddenly couldn't find the words to continue.

Derek just leaned against a chair by his side and finished for the black-haired girl when he said, "Being attacked by a Fallen Angel?"

The occupants of the room widened their eyes after hearing that. While they knew that his family was an ally of the Agares, they didn't expected him to know about such things. Derek saw that and with an annoyed groan, said, "Listen fellas, let's stop playing the _I'm about to reveal something shocking to you but I don't know how you'll react_ game and head straight to the point. I know who you all are, you are Sona Sitri, heiress of the Sitri clan, a pillar of the Devils' society…" He said while pointing at the surprised blackette. He then turned to look at the crimson-haired buxom and continued, "You are Rias Gremory, heiress of the Gremory clan, blah blah blah, the people here are part of your peerages, so with that out of the way, the fuck you want?"

The whole room was frozen silent, they were astonished at how much the silverette knew about them, it wasn't funny, it was scary, very scary. It was Sona the one that spoke first when she inquired, "H-How do you know so m-much?" She cursed herself for stuttering, but the silverette knew so much about them, yet they knew so little of him.

Derek just sighed tiredly and massaged his forehead before he replied, "Information is power darling, you'll do well to remember that…" He then walked a little closer and added casually, "And stop acting as if you don't know why, my family is a close ally with the Agares clan and you know it, fuck, I have a contract with Seekvaria for fucks sakes."

Again, they were all stunned, they knew of his family's closeness with the Agares clan, but they knew nothing of him having a contract with the heiress of the Agares, it did served to deter Rias a little from her goal since she could see that the silverette did not cared for being a devil at all, otherwise he would've already be part of Seekvaria's peerage. But not really having anything else and already pushed into the corner, she stepped up and said, "T-Then Derek, l-let me get to the point since I c-can see you're not i-in your best mood…" She ignored the _about fucking time_ that the silverette rudely muttered and continued before her will deterred completely, "I w-will like to offer you a spot in my peerage, I know there a-are many misconceptions of our kind but I promise you that being a d…" She couldn't continue because the silverette cut her off when he said.

"Nah, thanks beautiful, I appreciate the thought, really do, but I'm not interested." Derek shrugged it off without an ounce of doubt.

Rias was shocked for some seconds but after a while managed to whisper a question, "W-Why not?"

Derek just breathed in heavily and after leaning on the chair next to him, he explained, "Let's see, you lads knew of me since the very first moment I placed feet into this city, the white-haired girl over there…" He pointed a Koneko who strangely blushed and continued, "Has been following me around for the past week, so she saw my encounter with the Fallen girl. You sent one of your subordinates or whatever the fuck the black-haired girl delivering pamphlets is, you conveniently sent her to give me means to summon you, that tells me that you knew that I was going to be attacked that day, that in consecution tells me that you were planning to let me die so I would summon you, you would come in, revive me and force me into your peerage without my consent…" He then straightened himself up and finished, "So why, oh why my gorgeous Princess, would I want to join someone who clearly has her personal goals before my own well-being?"

No one dared to utter a word, not even Rias nor Sona, they were all completely stupefied at hearing this guy completely laying out Rias' plan in a matter of seconds. They all now could see that he knew about it all from the very beginning, he just didn't cared and allowed them to do it, this told them of a young man capable to have a verbal fight against any of the Lords of hell, maybe even Lucifer himself, and win.

"Well?…" Derek then said after a while of silence, he was starting to get really impatient.

It was Rias who broke out from her stupor first and surprising them all, she closed in on him slowly while shedding tears, Derek noted that she was genuinely crying, she stood in front of him and then bowed, earning gasps of surprise from the rest of the occupants in the room, "I-I'm so… I'm s-so sorry D-Derek… I a-acted so s-selfishly that I c-completely forgot a-about your w-well-being… p-please… f-forgive me…" She said with complete honesty, clearly filled with regret.

Derek did cooled his anger down after the apology, simply because he could see that Rias truly felt guilty about the whole ordeal, he could also detect that she seemed desperate about something and he knew that everyone, even him, made reckless and stupid decisions when under desperation. So sighing, he gently lifted Rias' beautiful face by the chin and said after she was looking straight at his blue eyes, "It doesn't really matter Rias, I enjoy fighting, a lot, especially after a good game on the football pitch, it helps to stretch sore muscles…" He walked back a little and continued, "So just forget about it, okay? Now, if there's nothing else, amma get the fuck out of here now."

He was about to walk to the door but stopped when Rias whispered with such desperation that for a second there it almost made him reconsider, "P-Please… I… I n-need you…"

Derek just turned to look at her and said harshly, "But I don't need you…" He saw that the girl flinched and was really hurt by his words, so calming himself down a little, he added more softly, "Listen Rias, I have nothing against you or your kind, but there are three things that I have against your offer. First, I have no fucking clue what it means to be a devil and no desire to know. Second, it pisses me off that you tried to play me like a fool when you could've just come to me and say it out right, without any freaking shenanigans…" Rias just widened her eyes at that, apparently surprised that it could have been that simple, "And third and most importantly, I'm nobody's servant, I will rather die before being somebody's lapdog, that's equal to being caged and I fucking hate cages."

Rias couldn't even speak, like the rest of the occupants of the room who were so stunned at his tranquil yet threatening attitude, all but the blond boy of the SC who said angrily, "Oi! Who the fuck do you think you are!? She's offering you a new great life and you act like an asshole and make her cry!?…" He then released his arm from the small girl and screamed while pouncing on the silverette, "I'll show you, you dick!"

"Saji stop!" Sona screamed, trying to stop her reckless pawn from hurting the heir, but she was already too late.

Saji grinned victorious when he saw the Hamilton frozen there without moving an inch, but he then lost his grin and replaced it with a shocked look when he found himself with his head pressed painfully against the floor, both of his arms were behind his back and were being held in the strongest grip he has ever been placed into.

"Easy there Muffin, I said that I had nothing against you lads, but I never said that I wouldn't kick your butts if I had to." Derek calmly said while keeping his fierce grip on the grunting boy.

The rest of the room was surprised, shocked actually, to see that Saji, someone who was not weak at all, was so easily handled by a human, the Hamilton wasn't even struggling, he moved faster than even Michael, the fastest of the devils in the room, could see.

Sona regained her composure first though and said, "I a-apologize Mr Hamilton… S-Saji… tends t-to allow his a-arrogance to get the better o-of him… p-please… re-release him."

Derek looked at Sona for some moments and then looked back at the boy in his grip before he said, "Don't sweat it, now, night night buddy." He then punched Saji on the back of his neck and his body suddenly fell limp, sinking into unconsciousness.

Derek then just carried the boy and placed him on a chair before he headed towards the door and after opening it, said some parting words, "Well, it has certainly been… entertaining… but I gotta go, you know, classes to attend to and football to practice later, so I'm out, cheers."

With that, the silver-haired Hamilton left the room, leaving a completely stunned group of devils behind, standing shocked at the whole thing that just happened, with the loud snoring of Saji as the only sound in the background.

* * *

"Man, Jeremy needs to improve his pace, he's such a poor winger…" Derek muttered while making his way home, once again, walking instead of driving. He had just finished his football practice some minutes ago and now he wanted nothing more than just rest on his comfy bed while watching sports news, really tired for the whole day.

"Ow!…" A sudden yelp then broke the young Hamilton out of his pondering. He turned to his side to see a butt flying out in the open, obviously belonging to a girl who had just face-planted against the pavement, "W-Why am I always s-such a klutz!?" The girl then whined in Italian.

Derek though, could sense something powerful inside her, a familiar pulse telling him of a fellow Sacred Gear user, making him groan internally and cursing his luck of always being put in such situations, _'Give me a fucking break…'_ He thought frustrated.

 ** _"_** ** _Hehe… the luck of a dragon…"_** A clearly amused Ddraig said inside his mind, citing the fact that dragons are known to attract both good things and bad things.

 _"_ _Fuck off…"_ Derek just said back annoyed.

For a second there, he considered just continue his walk home and forget about the girl, but he could not stop his body for coming close and help the girl out, muttering along the way, "Here we fucking go."

* * *

 **A/N: There it is, my first fanfic, let me know if you guys want me to continue this story, ask and you shall receive, cheers and fuck off already.**


	2. The Luck of a Dragon

**A/N: Yo lads, waddup? After seeing a relatively good amount of interest from you, I've decided to continue this story. It also helps me clear my mind from the other story whenever I get writer's block. Though, it will not be as long as TBE and as I said in the first chapter, this story is a secondary thing, so it will be updated with less frequency.**

 **Some things before we continue.**

 **Some of the lore, background and previous events have been change to accommodate the story, but don't worry, all the things changed from cannon will be explained in the story itself, like in this chapter where a reference to the original devil is made, you will see that some things were changed about him, but don't worry, it'll all be explained in due time.**

 **To those who think that Derek is alike my Naruto in TBE, well, you're correct, as I said on the first chap, this story and character inspired TBE and that Naruto, but while they're both uncaring and rude, there is a big difference between them, one that is shown in this chapter.**

 **And to those wondering what power level Derek has, he's equal to Vali at this point of the story.**

 **That's it for now, so enjoy!**

"Derek" - Normal Speech.

 _'Derek'_ \- Thought.

 _"Derek"_ \- Derek mentally speaking.

 **"Ddraig"** \- Ddraig/Albion speaking through the Sacred Gears/Divinities talking.

 _ **"Ddraig"**_ \- Ddraig speaking inside Derek's mind.

* * *

 **The Luck of the Dragon**

"Are you alright?" Derek asked the girl who had her face planted on the floor. The girl seemed to be wearing a dark-blue nun outfit and her baggage was by her side with all its contents spread all over the floor.

Said girl lifted her body with her arms and after sitting on the sidewalk, replied as she massaged her head, "Y-Yes… t-thank you for the help…" The girl had beautiful golden hair and dazzling green eyes, she had the purest and most innocent face Derek has seen ever since he last saw his younger sibling, so he couldn't help but relate this girl to his baby sister back in London.

Derek then caught the flying veil that threatened to fly away from them and while giving it back to her, he said, "It's okay, did you hurt yourself badly? I can take you to the hospital if you want."

The blonde girl just smiled timidly at him while grabbing the veil and nodded her thanks before she replied with a blush on her face, "N-No… d-don't worry… I-I'm fine… the L-Lord protects h-his children… always…" Derek managed to caught a glint of melancholy at the last part, but before he could say anything, the girl suddenly realized something, "G-God!… y-you understand me!?… y-you speak Italian!?"

Derek just snorted at the girl's cute demeanour, if she was more cunning and less naïve, the blonde would surely be a clone of Alice. Derek started to gather her clothes and after putting them back in the baggage, he replied, speaking fluent Italian, "Yes, I have an uncle who's… umm… a 'boss'… back in Italy, so I'm used to visiting the country…" He obviously was not going to tell her that his uncle was none other than Victor Lombardi, the biggest mob boss in Italy, "Plus, I'm an AC Milan supporter, so I practically have a second home back in Milan."

The girl smiled at his words, she was feeling really lucky to have found such a kind young handsome man who was willing to help her, "G-Great!… i-it must be the Lord l-lending a hand for me… I… I-I'm new here and I… I r-really don't know how to speak o-other languages… only Latin and Italian…"

Derek just smiled a little at the girl, he could tell by her aura that she wasn't feeling really good for coming here, he didn't know why though, and he really didn't cared. But still, the fact that she looked like Alice practically forced him to help her, "So, you came here on a vacation or what?" He inquired while extending her his hand so she could stand up.

The girl gratefully grabbed the silver-haired young man's hand and replied timidly, with a little bit of depression managing to slip into her words, "N-No… umm… I… I w-was sent here by the Vatican… I'm h-here to work in the Notre-Dame Cathedral."

Derek, at those words, narrowed his eyes while thinking, _'Hmm… now that I think about it, the Cathedral has no angelic presence whatsoever… I guess it's been overrun by the Fallen Angels…'_ He then looked at the blonde girl who was blushing while looking down at the ground and continued pondering, _'She's too naïve to be part of the Crows, that means she was probably casted out by the church… hmm… wonder what the Crows are planning to do with her?…'_ He then shrugged mentally and finished, _'Ah well… not my problem…'_

"Umm… M-Mr?… a-are you okay?" A timid voice which surely belonged to the blonde then broke Derek out of his pondering.

Derek just snorted and replied casually, "Yeah, yeah, sorry about that, I kinda spaced out…" Derek then remembered that he hadn't even introduced himself so said, "Where are my manners, my grandma would surely kill me if she saw me right now, my name is Derek Hamilton, pleasure to meet you…" He trailed off at the end to let the blonde know he wanted her name.

The blonde shook her head a little and with a small timid voice, she replied, "A-Asia… Asia A-Argento, it is a pleasure t-to meet you as well, D-Derek." She then flashed him a cute smile that if he weren't a cold heartless bastard, he was sure would've melt him.

The Hamilton just nodded and after shaking her hand, he said, "Well then, I wish you the best in your new job and don't worry, Luxembourg City is a really sound place." He turned to walk away but had to stop when the identified Asia said.

"U-Umm… excuse me!…" Asia then blushed really hard when the silverette turned to look at her and locked those beautiful blue eyes to her green orbs, but she managed to say, "I-I'm really sorry to im-impose myself like this… but… I… I r-really don't know where t-the Cathedral is, so…"

Derek just sighed tiredly while thinking, _'I'm definitely gonna miss out today's ESPN FC…'_ He then smiled ever so slightly and replied, "Yeah don't worry, I'll walk you there."

Asia immediately smiled widely and soon after, the pair began their walk towards the city's Cathedral. That is until a small boy caught their attention, the boy was holding his knee which had some blood coming out of his skin, surely he fell on it and got himself injured.

Derek was about to continue but had to stop because Asia suddenly ran towards the downed boy. Once the blonde nun got there, she gently placed her hands on top of the boy's and said, "Come on now, a big boy like you shouldn't be crying for such small things…" A green light then appeared from her hands and enveloped the wound, which seconds later, suddenly disappeared, "See? It's alright." She cooed the boy with a big gentle smile.

The boy awed for a second before he looked back at Asia and after a bear hug, he said, "Thank you big sister! You're the best!" The little fella then ran towards the other direction, probably where his parents are.

 _'_ _A healing Sacred Gear, huh?… I see why the Crows want her…'_ Derek just thought after watching the scene, already having a small inkling as to what the Fallen Angels wanted to do with the girl.

"Sorry, I had to help him!" Asia said as she walked back towards the silverette, wearing a satisfied smile on her face while showing him her tongue playfully.

The pair then resumed their walk, with Derek saying, "Quite handy ability you got there."

Asia smiled, although Derek could see that it was quite a painful smile, as she responded, "Yes, it was a blessing bestowed to me by God."

Derek just nodded and stopped his questioning, he could tell that whatever happened to the girl was recent, probably her emotional wounds were still sensitive, so he opted with just stay quiet and continuing to lead her to the Cathedral.

It took the pair some minutes, but they then finally arrived towards their destination, where a somewhat big medieval styled church was located, _'Damn… it stinks of crow even from here…'_ Derek thought while walking calmly towards the building.

 ** _"_** ** _Just drop the girl already and let's go, I can't stand that stench for long."_** Ddraig commented inside his mind, making his displeasure at being around Fallen Angels known.

Derek just ignored the snide from the beast as he was already used to his partner's distaste for the Fallen, he didn't understood why and he really didn't cared, but the silverette certainly shared his partner's distaste for the Crows, "Alright Asia, here we are." He then said while handing the baggage back to the blonde.

Asia looked at the ground depressed but then brought her eyes back to the silverette to say, "T-Thank you so much for yo-your help! Perhaps, you w-would like a cup of tea a-as thanks?"

Derek just smiled a little at her before he replied, "Sounds nice but I gotta pass your offer, I got some homework to do and I'm a little tired."

Asia really looked hurt at that but nodded in acceptance while saying, "Oh… i-it's okay… I… I understand…" She then looked back at him and asked with a smile, "Will y-you ever come visit m-me?"

Derek sighed a little, he could really just tell her to fuck off but the girl reminded him so much of his baby sister the he couldn't stop his mouth from saying, "We'll see Asia, take care."

The girl just smiled and waved at him as he began to make his way back home, with frustration starting to creep up his body due to the fact that he didn't felt at ease with leaving the girl there with the Fallen, "She's not Ali, Derek, so it's not your problem." He just muttered to himself, trying to forget about the girl completely.

* * *

 _'_ _Smells of sulphur…'_ Derek thought as he walked by an empty street. It was already night and he had decided to go and eat something after dropping the nun back at the church before he went back home, but as he walked by an empty street, his heightened smell managed to catch the distinctive smell of pure-blooded devils and if the other scents were anything to go by, that means that Rias Gremory and her peerage where nearby.

 ** _"_** ** _The redheaded devil and her group are not the only ones around boy, there's another presence, a hostile one though."_** Ddraig informed him from his mind, almost silently urging him to go and see what was going on, probably because the mighty dragon was bored.

 _"_ _Oh… then… if Rias has to do the same thing that Seekvaria in her territory, that means they're probably hunting a stray devil…"_ Derek thought before he smirked excitedly and added, "This could be fun." He immediately leapt towards the nearest roof, showing an inhuman ability to jump. He followed the scent of the Gremory group and was led towards a big abandoned warehouse, there were no houses around since it was a somewhat industrial zone and being already night time, there was no people around the premises, perfect for a stray to hide.

The young British royal made his way through one of the windows in the building's roof and silently moved towards a hiding spot where he could watch the show, "Alright Rias, show me what you've got." Derek muttered after finding a spot, already able to see the redheaded beauty and her group going inside the warehouse.

 _'_ _Strange, I feel like… like there's somebody else besides the stray here…'_ A certain redheaded buxom female thought as she was making her way inside the warehouse where a stray devil has made her lair. Since she was the one in charge of Luxembourg City, making sure that no strays come into her territory was part of her job as a heiress and while she was confident that her peerage was capable of taking this stray down, the feeling that somebody else was inside the building was starting to make her worry a bit.

"President, you okay?" The seductive voice of her Japanese best friend then broke Rias out of her troubled thoughts.

Rias just turned to look at her group and with a smile, she said, "Yes Akeno, don't worry, now…" She walked towards the middle of the warehouse and spoke loudly, "Stray devil Viser, show yourself."

After the Gremory heiress spoke those words, the sound of something moving was heard coming from behind a pair of huge water tanks, then, after some moments, a naked female appeared from behind the tanks and was wearing a murderous look in her eyes while playing with her naked breasts, "I can smell something disgusting, but I can also smell something delicious. Is it sour? Or is it sweet?" The stray known as Viser said as she revealed the rest of her lower body, which turned out to be a giant torso with four heavily clawed legs and a snake-like tail, reminiscing of a centaur.

"Such an ugly appearance, but it's fitting for a stray like you." Rias claimed while sending the stray a devious smirk, obviously trying to taunt the stray.

The mock worked though, because the moment those words reached the stray's ears, she became enraged and replied, "You little slut! I'll rip your body apart and taint it red like that hair of yours!" She then immediately lunged at them, with speeds that didn't seemed to belong to such a huge body.

"Mike!" Rias said as she stepped a little back to give her {Knight} some room.

"Yes, President!" Michael answered instantly and made a run for the stray. His speed was fantastic but it then turned even more amazing when he suddenly disappeared as if he was teleported somewhere else, but the slashes and cries of pain from the stray were a good pointer as to where the blond knight was right now.

Derek just sat on the ledge at the roof and thought, _'These devil pieces are so interesting, for the speed this guy has I would assume that he's a {Knight}, fast, deadly one hit killers, but weak in defence and once you cut their speed, they don't have much to defend themselves with…'_ The silver-haired Brit knew so much about the evil pieces thanks to his devil partner, Seekvaria Agares, who had taken on her time to explain him all about the pieces, one of the advantages of having a high-class devil in love with you.

"Ah!" The sudden feminine scream broke the silverette out of his musing, drawing his attention towards the fight where the {Knight} named Michael had just severed the monster's two hands.

As Michael got back towards his {King}'s side, the petite girl known as Koneko made her move when she closed in on the roaring stray, who looked at the white-haired girl with eyes filled with hatred and lifted her giant front leg. The stray then brought her foot down and mercilessly crushed the high schooler, creating a huge crater in the ground.

Derek just raised an eyebrow at that, thinking that that couldn't be it from the little girl, and as it turns out, his guess was right when just seconds after she was crushed, the giant leg of the stray was lifted by the small girl using only one hand. The girl then cocked her free fist back and announced almost robotically, "Fly." At those words, she delivered a powerful punch to the leg of the stray who cried out in pain for the hit, probably having it broken due to the force of the little girl's fist.

 _'_ _Ah, she's a {Rook}, the heavy hitters of the group, almost immense strength is rewarded to them along with a big defence, but at the cost of speed and technique, place them in a tight spot and they're done for…'_ The silverette added his mental comment while wishing he had some popcorn in his hands right now, things were getting good.

As the stray hit the wall, the black-haired devil known as Akeno spread her jet-black leather wings and took off towards the roof, forcing the silverette to hide a little deeper to avoid being seen. The blackette then said, "My, my, is finally my turn now… What to do? What to do?…" She placed her index finger on her lips and finished with a seductive tone, "Mmm… how about a little bit of shock therapy!" At that, she brought her right hand upwards and soon after, a powerful bolt of lightning came roaring down towards the poor stray who could only look at it and scream in pain once it hit, an attack that Akeno continued on with a scary satisfied look on her beautiful face.

Derek just raised an eyebrow at that behaviour while thinking, _'A {Queen} or a {Bishop}?… she's Rias' best friend so I guess she's a {Queen}, a piece that has the traits of the other pieces, very powerful, probably at the par of the {King}, but since she's an overall of the rest of the pieces, she also has to deal with their weaknesses…'_ As he continued to watch the blackette having her fun, an incredibly enticing scent then caught his smell, a scent he knew very well and was starting making him horny, _'Oh fuck… mate… is she… is she getting turned on with this?…'_ The blackette in question then delivered the biggest bolt of the night and moaned so sensually that Derek was willing to take her right here and now, _'Fuuuuck… she's into S &M… scary and not my thing… but fucking hot…'_

"That's enough, Akeno." Rias commanded as she made her way towards the barely alive stray.

"Mmm… we were starting to get into the good parts…" Akeno complained as she made her way back down towards the floor.

Rias just chuckled at her sadistic best friend and said once she was in front of the stray, "Any last wish?"

The stray just moved her eyes to look at the redhead and whispered, "Just kill me already, you slut."

Rias just sighed and soon later, a mass of crimson and black energy was shot from the heiress' hands and it immediately devoured the stray, leaving no trace of her whatsoever, "Well done, my lovely servants." She said with a beautiful smile that Derek could see carried genuine love for her servants.

As they all smiled back at their {King}, the Gremory peerage went back onto the defence again when the sound of claps was suddenly heard coming from above, where a familiar silver-haired male was sitting over a metal ledge waving his feet like a little kid and whistling appreciatively, "Gotta admit it lads, you certainly are quite the group." Derek said before he jumped down at the ground, landing perfectly, not minding that the distance of the fall should have been enough to break any human's legs easily.

"D-Derek!?" Rias stuttered with a small blush on her cheeks. She will admit it freely to anyone now, she really liked the boy, but seeing him here without even being noticed by her, immediately put her on guard, a stance that the rest of her peerage took on as well, not really knowing what he was doing here.

Derek seeing the hostile reaction at his cool entrance, just leaned coolly against a support and said uncaringly, "Whoa, chill the fuck out, I'm not here to fight you or anything, seriously, you devils are too hostile for your own good."

Rias and her peerage did lowered their guards after seeing that the silverette had clearly no intentions to fight. But still finding it weird to see him here, the Gremory heiress asked, "W-Well… is just… st-strange to see you here…" Rias relaxed a little and after regaining her posh demeanour, added, "What are you doing here?"

Derek just shrugged and answered, "Honestly, I was just making my way back home when I felt a disturbance in the force…" He was glad to see that the Gremory group did chuckled at his Star Wars reference, but continued, "Nah really, I felt a foul presence, usually distinctive of Stray Devils."

Once again, the Gremory group were speechless at his words, the amount of knowledge the Hamilton had about their world was really frightening. But not wanting to appear baffled by his knowledge, Rias asked with serenity, "Y-You… have you faced strays before?"

Derek walked towards the devils and after walking past them, he stood on the place where the stray previously lied and answered, "Yeah…" At seeing their surprised looks, he questioned, "Well, I guess you really couldn't find much about me when you investigated my past, huh?" He looked straight at Rias with a small smirk.

Rias looked completely caught off guard but not too surprised since she had apparently already come to terms with the fact that the silverette had more information on them than they on him, so not seeing the point in hiding it, she replied honestly, "N-Not really… _cough_ … j-just bits and pieces…"

Derek nodded and said, "I take it you know that I was part of the S.A.S?…" Rias just nodded in yes, prompting him to continue, "Well, I know more about you than you know about me, so I see no problem with me telling you a little bit about me."

Rias looked really elated to hear him say that, as well as her whole peerage, apparently, they were all really intrigued about the mysterious heir. So he just led them towards the outside and after leaving the warehouse, he sat on a metal table that was laying around and began, "Well, the reason for why I was inducted into the world's most elite military force, was to create a special team…" He then looked towards the heiress and finished, "A multinational team specialized to deal with your kind and the rest of the supernatural beings, even deities."

After those words, the Gremory group gasped loudly and once again returned to their on guard stances. Rias recovered first though, and managed to ask, although with some stutter in her voice, "W-What do you m-mean?"

"Don't get so tense, we did not killed indiscriminately, only those who broke the human laws, sometimes we even got requests from your own superiors, like Solomon Agares…" They were even more surprised but his words did managed to calm them down, "I know about strays because I've fought some before, Seekvaria occasionally requested my team's assistance whenever a high level stray appeared in her territory, back in Japan."

Rias did felt a pang of jealousy at the apparent closeness that he seemed to have with the Agares heiress, but quickly regaining her composure, she inquired, "B-But how? How can you be so informed about us?"

Derek just sighed as he replied, "I don't know you that much, but I can tell that you have been relatively raised in an overprotective environment…" The widened eyes of the heiress was all he needed to know he nailed the deduction, so he continued, "But let me break it to you lads, your existence is not only known to your clients, it is known to the governments around the world as well, sometimes some of your leaders even go and speak to the UN's Security Council."

They were all shocked, all their lives they had thought that their existence was a secret but as it turns out, the governments in the human world know about them, "B-But… h-how?…" Akeno whispered a question, seeing that Rias was incapable of speaking since this admission broke everything she thought of Devils' secrecy.

Derek saw that the heiress was quite shocked, so he explained, "Do you honestly believe that humanity stands no chance against you?…" Seeing that no one was capable of answering, he continued, "Well, sorry to say it, but as of right now, humanity is capable to fight AND win against any of the Biblical Factions, although, if you all were to ally, that might change, but since you're apparently weakened from a war you had some hundreds of years ago, you won't stand a chance against humanity if you fight separately…" Derek then stood up and added, "But don't feel so bad about it, nowadays, only the strongest Gods could destroy humanity, from there on, there isn't really many Factions or beings who could defeat us all."

Rias, after some minutes, finally managed to break herself from her almost hyperventilating state, she knew that the silverette was not going to reveal anything more about that, for now that is, so wanting to find out more about him instead, she asked, "I-I see… t-this team you said you f-formed on the S.A.S… c-can you tell us a little ab-about it?"

Derek did narrowed his beautiful blue eyes at her after those words, making her worry that she had angered him, but he sighed instead and answered, "I don't see why not…" He walked a little closer to them and said, "My team was known as 'Ghosts', simply because we acted behind everyone's back, specifically, we were the UN Security Council's secret strike force, not just against your kind, but against human threats as well. My team was conformed by five members, me included, all coming from different countries, it didn't mattered whether those countries belonged to the UNSC or not, they just had to be good enough to fight against such threats…" He then began to walk towards the exit and saw that Rias was about to ask more, so he added, "That's all I'm willing to say about me for now."

Rias did looked down a little at that because she was really eager to know more about such an intriguing man, but not wanting to risk her chances to ask for his help anymore, she relented but made a small inquire, "I… I understand but… w-why telling us such… i-important secrets?"

Derek sighed at that and after looking at the moon for some moments, he answered, "I originally thought of you lot as nothing more than devious creatures…" He saw that they didn't took too kindly his words but added, "You can't really blame me for that after what you tried to pull off…" He saw that his counter had the desired effect because they all genuinely looked down in shame at that, showing him that they really feel guilty for their {King}'s desperate actions, "Stop with the sombre looks, doesn't suit you guys at all…" They all looked at him and smiled a little, so he continued, "But, I came to see that, you're actually good people, you just made the wrong choice out of desperation, something I can relate to, so I really don't see why not telling you this, is only a secret for those below the high payroll, all your superiors and leaders know about this, so is not like you could do anything against me or humanity with this intel."

They all felt a little relieved to see that the silverette was apparently starting to look at them with a little bit of more grace, Rias especially because she was feeling really down after what she almost caused, so one could excuse her for asking with hope, "T-Then… that means y-you?…"

Derek quickly shattered her hopes though, when he cut her off saying, "No Rias, don't get me wrong, I will never, ever, be a slave to anyone, even if you don't see them as that, I will still be seen as your pawn, something not even the UNSC could claim since they were never in control of me or my team."

Rias just looked down again, feeling really hurt by his refusal, but she really couldn't blame him, he was right, she might be loving and she might really see her servants as her family, but they were still that, servants. Still, she wanted him around, so requested, "I un-understand… but… c-could you perhaps… j-join the ORC?"

Derek just sighed at that and stared at the beautiful girl, he didn't saw anything wrong with joining her club but he wasn't so convinced, so replied, "I'm busy with the football team as it is…" He turned to walk away and he could imagine the sad face the heiress surely had, but he left with some parting words, "But we'll see."

Rias immediately perked her head up at those words, but she, alongside her peerage, was surprised to see that he was already gone, as if he was nothing but a ghost of the night, "My, my, is our loving {King} in love?" The amusing voice of Akeno then commented, clearly talking about the smile and blush Rias had on her face.

"Let's go." Was all Rias said before she conjured a magic circle that transported her and her peerage out of the premises, all amongst the amused smiles of her servants.

* * *

An elegant man could be seen sitting on a quite expensive looking chair as he was holding in his right hand an old fashion glass with whisky inside, sipping his beverage delightedly while he read an article related to his grandson on his electronic tablet. The elegant man just chuckled and muttered to himself, "My dear grandson, always attracting too much attention without even trying, just like a true Hamilton."

The article Jonathan Hamilton was reading right now was a column from the most important British Football paper, it talked about how 'Bobby Charlton's heir' has made a return to the football pitch. Jonathan knew that beyond all, Derek wanted nothing more than to be a professional footballer, but even if Jonathan hated himself for not being able to allow his grandson to follow his true dream, it was just not meant to be.

The powerful patriarch's relaxing time came to a stop when a sudden flash of light-blue covered his office for some seconds, Jonathan didn't even blinked as he already knew what the flash of light meant, "Ah, Solomon…" Jonathan said as he turned to look at his right, where a handsome middle-aged blond man was standing with a small smile. The Agares patriarch himself was a powerful looking man, slim figure with a little bit of muscle here and there, long blond hair tied in a single ponytail, rare pink eyes and was wearing royal clothes fit for any king, "My friend, please sit…" Jonathan gestured the chair right next to his left, where the Agares patriarch sat, "Do you fancy some whisky?"

"Ah Jonathan, always so good to see you, my old friend…" Solomon said as he accepted the glass of whisky, humans did had the best drinks after all, "How are you, Jonathan?" Solomon then inquired as he looked at his friend.

The two have known each other since Jonathan Hamilton was twelve years old, Solomon though was already in the midst of his three-thousand years. But Solomon saw something in young Jonathan Hamilton, something that went beyond his royal status as one the sons of none other than George V, one of the Kings of the UK. Jonathan was the youngest of his sons and was poised to become the UK's new monarch once King George VI's reign ended, but he surprisingly declined, choosing to instead support his cousin, Elizabeth II, and opting to stay in the shadows to protect the UK and its overseas lands.

Solomon knew from the very start that Jonathan was a devious, cunning, wise and extremely intelligent man, fit enough to even become the Devils' Lucifer, that powerful this human is, so he immediately allied himself with the Hamilton patriarch, knowing that the benefits for both sides could be great. And his guess was proven right as many of the Agares family's technological advances had been achieved thanks to Jonathan's help, and most of the Hamilton's goals have also been achieved thanks to their alliance, which at this point, was more like a brotherhood since Solomon considered the Hamiltons as their human cousins.

Jonathan smiled a little at his friend and answered, "Ah, I'm quite well, thank you…" He sipped some of his whisky and put his tablet aside to continue, "What about you, Solomon? How are you and your family?"

Solomon drank some of his liquor too and answered after, "Well, I am very well, thank you. My wife, well, as fierce as yours…" The two man then shared a laugh as a small shiver ran through their spines, remembering their respective fiery wives, "My daughter is well, although, she's quite upset."

Jonathan just chuckled and deduced, "Ah, so she must have heard that Derek has settled in Luxembourg."

"Ah yes, she was quite upset that you sent him to the Gremory heiress' territory…" Solomon said as he laid back in his chair a little, "She has been pestering me to convince you to send him to Kuoh, with her."

Jonathan just chuckled before he added, "Yes, it was an option, but we both know that Derek would've never fit in Japan, things on the eastern side of the globe are quite different from ours."

"That's what I told her…" Solomon conceded before he continued, "And that's what brings me here."

Jonathan at that, laughed a little before he said, "So she won't give up, huh?"

The Agares patriarch shared the Hamilton's laugh before he replied, "Of course not, she's madly in love with him, she wants to marry him yes or yes."

"That might be, but I'm not so sure why do you agree to that." Jonathan commented as he leaned forward.

Solomon sipped more of his liquor and after some moments, he inquired, "Why would I not?"

"Well, for starters, he's a human, Seekvaria will live for thousands of years, Derek has, at the most, eighty years ahead of him…" Jonathan reclined back as he continued, "Then, we both know that Derek will not stop having more relationships, he's incapable of settling with only one woman, are you okay with him having multiple partners?"

"The human part is of no consequence to me, my daughter loves him and exactly because he's a human she wants to spend as much time as she can as his wife, plus, a child born from the two would be a beautiful gift, symbolizing how close our families truly are…" Solomon the reclined as well and continued, "As for him taking on more partners, it matters not, Harems are a quite common thing amongst Devils, your grandson might be human, but his blood is as precious as any Agares', him leaving a good amount of heirs, would be exceptional for both sides."

Jonathan nodded at that since the devil's words carried a lot of truth, but still tried to counter, "That, I cannot deny, but what about Seekvaria? Is she willing to share?"

Solomon smiled as he answered, "Of course, I spoke to her about it and she said that she was already sharing him, with whom, I do not know, but she said that he still loves her equally, even if he doesn't say it outright, we can both attest that he will care for them all equally."

Jonathan nodded at that and sighed before he agreed, "That is indeed true, unfortunately, Derek was never capable to let go of the bonds he genuinely forms after that fateful day." He looked down at the floor, remembering the day his beloved son and daughter in law tragically died in Brussels.

Solomon saw the gloominess that was starting to creep up on his friend, so he quickly said, "That's why I think it's a great opportunity to bind our families even closer and who knows, perhaps in the future, the Gremory heiress might fall for him as well."

Jonathan just chuckled and said, "If she hasn't already, that boy turns every girl he meets into a devoted follower, much to his annoyance." The two men then laughed at that, they always found it amusing that Derek, being someone practically irresistible to the female sex, and even some males, was always annoyed at how much attention he unwillingly attracts.

Solomon then stood up and asked, "Then, I trust you'll tell Derek of the news?" The Agares had a devilish smirk plastered on his face.

Jonathan formed the same smirk as he replied, "Do you honestly believe that I will miss on the chance to see Derek's expression once he finds out he's engaged?…" The two laughed and with that, the Agares patriarch disappeared in another flash of light-blue, leaving a pondering elegant man sitting on his chair, grabbing his tablet and muttering, "I wonder for how long will you be able to keep your secret, son?"

* * *

A whistle was heard throughout the pitch, making the players stop on their tracks to turn to look at their coach who said, "Alright boys, that's it for today's practice…" The coach then walked towards the bench and rounded up all of his players to say, "As you all know, this weekend we're playing against FC CeBra, the second on the league just behind us, we're six points clear of them, so if we win this game, we'll be nine ahead and it'll make it easier for the rest of our season, so I want you all on your best for that game, understood?"

The boys then roared in unison, "Yes!"

The coach just smiled and said, "Alright then, you're dismissed for today." He saw that it was already late so there was no reason for him to keep the players here for much longer.

The players started to say their goodbyes to each other, with two of them saying to Derek, "Yo, Cap…" Said Captain turned to look at the one that spoke, a black-haired boy who was accompanied by a blond one, "It seems your biggest fan is here, again." The blackette then added while punching playfully Derek's chest and smirking.

The silver-haired Brit just tilted his head in confusion when he asked, "What are you talking about, Jeremy?"

The now identified Jeremy laughed alongside the rest of the players who were still left before he said, "Over there…" He pointed towards the seats on the almost empty stadium, where a familiar blue-haired beauty was there alongside three of her fellow Student Council members, "Go and ask her out already! She's one of the hottest girls of the Academy!"

Derek just chuckled when he saw Tsubasa widening her eyes after she realized that the whole team was talking about her, she just grabbed her fellow peerage members and quickly made her way out of the stadium, wearing a cute blush on her cheeks, "Yeah, I think I will, she does supports us every game." The silverette then said as he made his way towards the dressing room alongside his teammates, who were teasing him all the way.

After Derek finally got a quick shower, he left the training grounds and made his way back home. He was walking because he prefers to walk after football practice since it helped to ease his aching muscles, "What's that smell…" The British muttered after catching a strong smell coming off from one of the darkened streets he just walked by, "Blood?" He added as he made his way towards the origin of the scent.

It took him some minutes to find it, but he finally caught the origin when he arrived towards a two storey house, the door was opened and he could feel that there was some kind of magic spell placed on the premises, probably to keep intruders out. The silverette walked towards the door and could hear the sounds of someone fighting, along with a scent he managed to recognise, "Smells like cat… Koneko?…" He muttered as he pondered on whether to go inside or not.

 ** _"_** ** _Haha… the luck o…"_** Ddraig was saying after seeing his partner placed in yet another unwanted situation, but was promptly shut when the silverette threatened.

 _"_ _D, I swear to Great Red that if you say that again, I'm going to stay overnight listening to 'Despacito' over and over again mate, I fucking mean it."_ The silverette developed a smug smirk after seeing that his dragon partner stopped talking, he knew it was a harsh threat, even for him, but if listening to such annoyance was going to keep the dragon quiet, he was willing to go through the torture.

Derek then just shook his head and decided to see what was going on, he could detect bloodlust coming off from inside the house, so the petite white-haired ORC member was probably in danger. Walking inside, Derek made his way towards where the sounds were coming from, almost silently, he got into a room and he could see that at the far side of it, there was a cadaver placed on a crux, nailed as Jesus Christ, there was a huge pool of blood on the floor and he could tell not all of it was from the crucified person.

"You stupid devil bitch!" A maniac voice was heard, belonging to a white-haired boy who looked no older than twenty years old. The white-haired boy was wearing a blue coat with golden adornments that looked like it belonged to a priest, he was also wearing a white shirt and white pants, he had black shoes and crazed red eyes that bore clear madness. The young man was currently swinging his sword made out of light against the petite girl who was limping somewhat.

"You're nothing but words." Koneko taunted with her distinctive robot-like tone, she was dancing gracefully, avoiding every swing the white-haired psychopath was sending her way, but things were starting to get complicated for her because the cursed stray priest had shot her in the leg with a bullet made of light, her deadliest weakness.

The crazy priest just laughed at her words and screamed, "Ah! I'm going to enjoy killing you, then I'll rape you and then I'll burn you, in that exact order!" The lunatic then jumped at Koneko who had lost her balance and had no chance to stop the attack from the stray priest.

Koneko just gritted her teeth and closed her eyes, she knew she was done for since the wound in her leg was already too painful for her to ignore, she was just glad that the stray was going to kill her before doing the other disgusting things, but she was then shocked when she heard the pained yell of the stray and then a strong thud reverberating in the room.

The white-haired girl just opened her eyes a little and then went wide-eyed in shock when she saw the silver-haired Hamilton that had all her family intrigued. The handsome young man was standing right in front of her with a cold expression, looking towards the stray priest who was slowly standing up while grunting, "You alright, Koneko?" Derek questioned without looking at her.

The petite Gremory member blushed a little but replied, "N-Not really… he… h-he shot me in the leg… I… I can't r-really move…" She just looked down at her leg, gritting her teeth in frustration at appearing weak in front of her crush, _'Whoa, what!? When did that happened?…'_ The cat-like girl just thought while feeling her cheeks heating up badly, not knowing why she thought of him as her crush.

The silverette just replied calmly, "It's alright, I'll deal with him, just sit tight." He sent the downed girl a charming smirk that made her flushed state even worse.

"You fucking asshole! That hurt!…" The white-haired boy said as he stood up again, "Who the fuck are you anyway?…" The crazed youngster then sniffed the air and added, "You don't smell like a devil, you're human, but you're protecting a devil so that makes you an honorary devil!" He laughed maniacally as he made a run towards the silverette, who was looking at him with bored eyes.

Just as the crazy priest was about to hit him, Derek sidestepped with incredible speed and almost unnoticeably, delivered a crunching kick to the priest's side, sending him crashing against a wall, "I can tell you are a priest, a quite uncouth one at that, probably why you got kicked out of the Church… what's your name, mate?" Derek spoke with tranquillity, not seemingly fazed by the white-haired priest's insane bloodlust.

The priest just laughed a little before he stood up again and replied, "I am Freed Sellzen! And you my friend! You're making my day a whole lot better!" The now identified Freed then jumped at him again, preparing his sword to slash.

The priest was fast, but Derek was a goddamn elite soldier trained by the best of the best in the S.A.S forces and he proved that when out of nowhere, the silverette dodged with speeds that shouldn't be possible for humans before he grabbed the priest's wrist and snapped it, breaking it immediately.

"Ah! Y-You… y-you motherfucker!" Freed screamed as he grabbed his broken wrist, gritting his teeth in order to subdue the pain. The crazed man then just grabbed his gun and shoot at the silverette, saying, "Die!"

Derek just moved to the side and avoided the bullets with ease, but without wasting any time, he kicked the couch by his side and sent it straight at the kneeling priest, who could not avoid it and was sent harshly towards the wall, forcing him to drop the weapon. The silverette then immediately went towards the gun and grabbed it, aiming the cannon towards the head of the teen priest as he declared, "You're boring."

Derek was about to pull the trigger but a sudden scream distracted him, allowing the priest to kick him on the stomach and send him away from him, "W-What is going on!?" A familiar blonde girl said as she watched with horror the gory scene in front of her.

The priest made his way towards her side and said, "Ah that's right, I forgot you're new to this, this is what we do, my dear Asia."

Asia just stared in shock at the priest while whispering, "W-What?… I… I d-don't un-understand…"

Freed just grinned maniacally as he answered, "It's simple! This guy was summoning devils! A heretic! A beast! They are the taint of this world and it's our job to cleanse such impurity!…" The shocked girl was going to say something else but Freed interrupted her, saying, "Now, let's kill the rest of these pests!"

That's when Asia realized that there were more people inside the room, a white-haired girl who was sitting on the floor while grabbing her leg which seemed to be bleeding a lot and by her side, a recognizable man she was aching to see again, "D-Derek?" She whispered while locking her green innocent eyes to his.

Freed hummed in confusion after hearing the nun, prompting him to question, "You know this devil?"

Asia turned shocked at the priest as she said back, "D-Devil?… D-Derek is… a d-devil?…"

Derek just stood up and answered, "No Asia, I am not devil, but she is." He gestured the injured girl.

"You're a friend of the devil, so that makes you a devil in my eyes!" Freed just screamed with a complete crazed gaze, looking as if he was losing more and more of his mental health by the minute.

The crazy priest was about to make an attack against the silverette but had to stop when the blonde nun stood in between him and his prey, making him whine, "Asia! What the fuck are you doing!? Get out of the way so I can kill this pest!"

Asia just gulped but steeling her resolve, she said, "N-No! Derek is… a g-good man! E-Even if he's friends w-with a devil!"

Freed just growled annoyed and in a second, backhanded her with his right hand, sending her crashing against the wall, "You demon lover whore! I'll deal with you later!"

Derek just narrowed his eyes at the way he treated the innocent nun but before he could do anything, a red light suddenly flashed the whole room, making him turn behind his back to see a familiar magic circle appearing in the floor, where Michael, Akeno and Rias appeared after some moments.

"I'm sorry Koneko, I didn… D-Derek!?…" Rias was saying to her {Rook} before she screamed in surprise after seeing the silverette here inside the room, apparently protecting Koneko, "W-What are you d-doing here!?" She asked as she kneeled down to heal Koneko's wound a little.

"My stupid luck I guess, was passing by, smelled blood, came to find little Koneko almost being killed by this lunatic, that's pretty much it." Derek said with a shrug, he seemed calm but the annoyance the whole ordeal was causing him was clear in his eyes.

Rias was about to say something else but Freed screamed excitedly, "Yes! More demons to kill!"

"As if you could." Akeno claimed with a seductive smile on her face while Michael unsheathed his sword just beside her, both ready for combat.

"Just go…" Derek said to the Gremory group, who looked at him as if he was crazy. The silverette just sighed annoyed as he commented, "Koneko is badly injured, you need to focus on her, I'll deal with this idiot."

"But Derek! T-The Fallen! I c-can sense them coming!" Rias said with worry etched in her words, not wanting to see the boy she liked getting killed since she could not take him with her by using the magic circle, which only worked with her and her servants.

Derek just turned to look at the red-headed heiress and said with a charming smirk, "Don't worry beautiful, you'll still be seeing a lot of me…" Rias blushed at his words but he then commanded, "Now leave, Koneko's well-being comes first, don't make the same mistake with her that you almost did with me."

Those harsh words served to force Rias to relent, she was biting her lip but she could not counter his words, Koneko was injured and she required attention immediately, so not wanting to disappoint the silverette again, she agreed, "Alright, j-just be careful…" Derek nodded at her and she then said to her {Queen}, "Akeno, take us out of here."

Akeno nodded, although she had a worried expression as well, not feeling comfortable with leaving the silver-haired enigma all by himself here, but not able to say anything against it, she just relented and promptly teleported her group out of there.

Freed was about to attack them but Derek appeared in front of his almost like a ghost. The white-haired boy was going to say something but suddenly, felt his body shut down and fell to the floor, unconscious.

"Took longer than I thought." Derek just muttered as he watched the priest's body on the floor. Something that Freed hadn't noticed was that Derek's hits carry something deadlier with them than just force, a small piece of Ddraig's true aura, which was poisonous to everybody else but him.

 ** _"_** ** _The boy must have a strong resistance, probably artificially built."_** Ddraig then put his deduction forward.

Derek just nodded and muttered, "Well, it doesn't matter…" He turned to look at the unconscious Asia and after some moments, he added coldly, "She's not Ali, so it's not my problem."

With that, he disappeared in a red flash, leaving the two unconscious bodies in the room that soon after, got flooded with Fallen Angels.

* * *

"Ow!" A somewhat small white-haired girl complained as she had the light bullet extracted from her leg.

She alongside her peerage have just arrived to the ORC's clubroom and immediately Akeno began to apply healing magic while Michael carefully extracted the cursed object from her limb, "My, my, such a cry-baby." The beautiful black-haired healing her who was known as Akeno Himejima, said with an amused smile, showing a little bit of the girl's S&M tendencies.

"It's out." Michael said after he finally took the bullet out. The blonde feminine looking man tossed the bullet to the ground and after calling on one of his swords, he pierced it and destroyed it.

"Good, thank you Mike…" A crimson-haired beauty said with a smile before she sat on the couch where Koneko was laying, she brought the petite girl into her arms and while hugging her close, she asked, "How are you feeling, Koneko?"

The white cat-like girl relaxed herself into the embrace of her adoptive big sister and whispered, "I-I'm better now…" She then looked down at her lap, clearly frustrated that she had lost.

Rias noticing this, just petted her head and said soothingly, "Now, now, don't get all broody, it was my fault that you got in danger…" Rias then instinctively hugged the girl tighter as she finished, "I'm really sorry." It was a very well-known fact that the Gremory household was quite close to their servants, to the point that they do not see them as servants. Rias though, she was even more affectionate with her peerage than her family, to her, Akeno and Koneko were her sisters and Michael was her brother.

Koneko just slumped a little but relaxed in Rias' arms as she said, "Don't be, it's because I'm w-weak that… I caused you w-worry."

Rias, Akeno and Michael frowned at that, they all knew that Koneko was quite sensitive when it came to losing, she hated losing because it reminded her that she still had more power but was afraid to use it, so losing a fight was like a constant reminder that she was at her current peak without said extra powers.

"My, my, you call yourself weak yet, you are the only capable to destroy a stray with a single punch." Akeno countered as she pinched the petite girl's cheek.

Michael then sat by their side and added with a gentle smile, "You shouldn't let something like this get to you Koneko, remember, even the great Lucifer Morningstar lost."

That did bring Koneko's mood up a little, it was true, Lucifer Morningstar, the father of the Devils, carrier of the Elder Blood and more importantly, son of the Biblical God himself, died in the Devils' Civil War, he was referred to as one of the strongest beings in existence, easily in the top ten and even so, he died. But that also made her come to a new resolve, Koneko already lost her family once and she was not going to lose her new one as well, she will grow strong, to keep her family safe and to impress her crush, ' _W-Where is that c-coming from!?…'_ The girl thought with a small blush on her cheeks, not knowing why she was thinking of the Hamilton heir so much recently.

Unfortunately for her, Akeno detected her blush and developing a devious smirk, the blackette buxom teased, "My, my, is our little Koneko thinking about her silver-haired hero?"

Koneko immediately shot her head up with a stronger blush this time, trying to say between stutters, "N-No!… I… I d-don't know… w-what are you saying!…" She then just turned around and buried her head in Rias' bosom, among the amused chuckles of her peerage and {King}.

Rias just petted the girl tenderly as she chided her {Queen}, "Akeno, stop teasing Koneko."

Akeno just giggled before Michael said with an uneasy smile, "Speaking of whom… do you think he's alright?"

The mood in the room immediately fell after those words, they were all worried for the silverette. Rias mostly, she wanted to go back and bring him with them but if he was fighting the Fallen Angels, it would mean that they'd have to fight them as well and that would be a breach in the Cease Fire treaty the Biblical Factions had, the treaty was already fragile to begin with so doing something like that so recklessly would only cause a war.

It was Koneko though, the one that eased them when she took her head out of Rias' breasts and said, "Don't worry a-about him, for what I saw, I'm sure h-he's not even struggling."

The other three present in the room raised their eyebrows in confusion, so wanting to know what she saw, Akeno inquired, "What do you mean, Koneko?"

The girl answered, "W-Well… when he f-fought the stray priest… he wasn't even struggling… h-he was toying with him…" The Gremory group just felt more intrigued by her words, but didn't interrupt her as Koneko added, "I could also tell that he w-was holding back, a lot."

"How would you know that?" Rias asked as she continued to caress the girl in her arms.

"Because he was really annoyed, I c-could tell by how tense his muscles were that he wanted to get it over with soon, but stopped himself from doing it." Koneko replied as she leaned on her master's caressing.

They all felt confused at that, so Akeno further questioned, "But why would he not finish it soon?"

It was Michael the one that deduced where Koneko was going, so spoke his guess, "Because he wanted to keep a low profile."

Koneko just nodded at that, deducing the same thing when she watched the silverette. She could tell that he was annoyed, not by the priest or the situation, but because he had the power to finish it in a second but couldn't, not with her there to see it.

They all sighed in unison, the silverette was such an enigma that none of them could get him out of their heads. He not only knew a lot about them, though that was explained when he told them that he had a contract with the Agares heiress, so it was obvious to see that Seekvaria had informed him of everything about the Devils and such.

But he is also incredibly powerful, they don't know why, not even Rias, but being in his mere presence is almost suffocating, he exudes power, they just don't know what kind of power he has, "Just what are you, Derek Hamilton?…" Akeno muttered as she looked at the floor in thought, action mimicked by her family who had the exact same question in their minds.

* * *

"Derek!" A blond man screamed as he ran with great speeds through the left wing of the football pitch. He was making his way towards the corner of the field as an opposite player was trying to cut him off.

Said Captain heard his teammate and timing his hit perfectly, kicked the ball and sent it straight at the blond with a beautiful curve. Derek then immediately made a run towards the box.

Jeremy saw the ball coming and managed to control it with his left foot but he had to stop as the opposite team's defender stood before him, trying to block his path. Jeremy just looked from the corner of his eyes and saw how the silver-haired Captain of his team was raising his hand as he ran inside the box, so making a quick dribble, Jeremy managed to get free from his mark and quickly kicked the ball towards his teammate's position, cursing when he saw that his pass was a little behind Derek.

Derek stopped his run abruptly as he saw that the pass was going behind his back, but still, there was a reason why he was considered one of football's greatest prospects when he was a kid, so making something that nobody thought he could do, he turned his back on the goal and jumping high, he pulled off a magnificent bicycle kick, sending the ball straight at the top left corner of the goal, making it impossible for the Goalkeeper to stop the shot.

"Holy shit!" Luxembourg Drakes' coach claimed as he grabbed his head unbelievingly. He, like the rest of the roaring crowd present in the stadium, was totally awed at seeing such impressive display of talent, that kind of goals are the hardest to pull off, something that even the elite pro footballers had trouble doing, but Derek just did it with such finesse that the whole crowd couldn't help but scream his name with excitement.

"Come on lads! There's no time to celebrate, let's go!" Derek said to his teammates who were congratulating him for such fantastic goal, but he knew that it was not the time, the game was three-two on their favour and there were only seconds left, he wanted to win this game already.

The game then resumed after the goal and after some more seconds, the referee finally blew his whistle, signalling the end of the game, "AH!" Luxembourg Academy's students and the rest of the crowd were then heard screaming in excitement after such a fantastic game, it was the first time that the Academy had a legit sport representative and seeing such a fantastic football team defeating none other than last year's champions was absolutely stunning.

"Derek! Come here you beautiful son of a bitch!" The coach of the team said as he ran alongside the rest of the Drakes towards their silver-haired Captain, this was the first half of the season's most important game and they just won it.

Derek just chuckled slightly as he was tossed in the air by his excited teammates, all the while having the crowd cheering his name, "Come on lads, this win was thanks to us all, not just me." He just said humbly as he was placed back on the ground. He knows he is a god on the pitch but he also knows that even if he was the greatest footballer of all time, he couldn't do a thing without a good team surrounding him.

The Drakes just cheered at their Captain's words, all feeling grateful to have the best player in Luxembourg and that even so he was still humble. With that, the teams congratulated each other and made their way towards the lockers.

After thirty minutes, Derek finally took a refreshing shower and put on his civilian clothes, he then said goodbye to his teammates and made his way towards his car that was parked outside, "Why not…" Derek muttered with a smirk after seeing a blue-haired girl speaking with her devil friends.

The silver-haired Hamilton walked towards the Student Council who had apparently been present in the crowd, he also caught glimpse of the ORC enjoying the game. Derek just walked towards the bluenette, ignoring the raging fan girls screaming his name, "Oi, Tsubasa." He said as he stood before the bluenette.

Tsubasa felt her heart threatening to jump out of her chest when she saw her crush walking towards her. It was quite known that Tsubasa Yura was Derek's biggest fan, she admired him so much that she was the very first one to buy a jersey with his name on it, she never missed a game and had the habit of seeing him and his team's practice. So seeing the object of her affections coming to her and speaking to her, was making the usual tomboyish girl blush and stutter like a damn high-schooler in love, "M-Mr Hamilton!" She cursed herself for screaming, but she was just too excited.

Derek just chuckled and with a charming smirk that made all the jealous girls around them fawn even harder, said, "Ah come on now, my name's Derek, use it."

Tsubasa just gulped and tried hard to control her raging emotions, it took some moments, but the bluenette finally calmed herself down enough to reply, "Oh… umm… a-alright… _gulp_ … D-Derek…" Tsubasa looked down a little and said a tad bit coyly, "C-Congrats on the win… i-it was fantastic!… y-you… umm… y-you w-were fantastic."

 _'_ _Oh, I really like this girl, she's a little bit like Seek…'_ Derek thought with a smirk. The silverette then hanged his backpack on his shoulder and said, "Thanks, it was a good game but it wasn't just me, it was the whole team…" Tsubasa smiled at that, as well as the SC members, making Derek believe that they still thought that he was an arrogant ass, but not minding that now, he continued, "Oi, I was going to grab something to eat just now, so I was wondering if you wanted to go with me?"

Tsubasa and the rest of the people present widened their eyes at that. The girls, even the ones from the SC, looked red in jealousy while the males were gritting their teeth at seeing the guy that had all the girls in the Academy, Luxembourg actually, at his feet already making his move. Some of Derek's teammates were just laughing at seeing their Captain carrying on with his word.

Finally after some moments, Tsubasa seemed to have remembered that her crush was standing right in front of her, asking a very important question, but still a little unsure, she replied, "Y-You mean… l-like… a… d-date?"

Derek just shrugged and said, "Sure, why not."

Tsubasa just felt her raging emotions almost completely overcoming her control over her body, as she was sure she was going to faint, "Tsubasa?" The voice of Derek then broke her out of her semi-crisis, making her realize that she was taking too long.

Tsubasa just shook her head to get rid of troubled thoughts and turned to look at her {King} since she really couldn't do anything without her permission. Thankfully though, Sona just smiled at her and nodded slightly, making Tsubasa smile in thanks and turning towards the silverette, she said, "Yes!…" She blushed after her scream before she repeated a little more composedly, " _Ahem_ … Yes, I w-would like that v-very much."

Derek frowned unnoticedly when he saw Tsubasa asking for Sona's permission, that is one of the reasons for why he did not wanted to join a peerage, nor Seekvaria's, nor Rias', but stowing his thinking for now, he looked at the bluenette and with a charming smirk, he said, "Alright then, let's go, my car's outside." Tsubasa just nodded with a small coy smile and with that, left with the silverette towards his car, feeling really excited to have a date with her crush and idol.

* * *

"What you want to eat?" Derek asked the bluenette sitting beside him inside his car. They were currently driving around the capital trying to find a good place to eat.

Tsubasa couldn't stop her blushing as her mind was running wild with dreams of the future, and much to her embarrassment, some quite lewd thoughts too. But shaking her head to the sides, she turned to look at her crush and replied, "Umm… h-how about some hamburgers?" The Sitri {Rook} was known to be a muscle-brain, she usually only focused on her activities as a devil and as a member of the SC, and occasionally to her practice of volleyball, her favourite sport, that's way she always ignores the advances from the boys of her school, since nobody has ever caught her eye, that is until a certain silver-haired Adonis appeared.

But let it be known that the Yura girl was not uninformed when it comes to how to treat the boy you like, she was a girl in the end and she, alongside the rest of her peerage, occasionally with Sona even, would grab a magazine or go to the internet and read things about how to treat your crush. It also helped that both Momo and Ruruko gave her some tips on how to get close to Derek, since they were both infatuated with Saji so they were the most knowledgeable on the subject. Although, she could tell that at the least Momo's infatuation was starting to turn somewhere else.

So knowing that men hated indecisive girls, she suggested something quick and that she really liked, like hamburgers, she just hoped he liked them as well.

Tsubasa smiled when she saw the silverette apparently elated to that when he said, "Oh that sounds good, alright, let's go…" Derek then drove towards a small restaurant where they sell hamburgers, "Here, I've come before and they're really good." He commented as he parked the car outside the medium sized restaurant.

Both got out of the car and started to walk towards the establishment. Derek though, wanted to be a little mischievous and desiring to see Tsubasa acting like a school girl in love, he interlocked his right hand with her left one and led her towards the restaurant.

Tsubasa almost tripped over when she felt her hand being held by the silverette, she was blushing madly and was trying harder than ever to hold her hormones down. But not wanting to look weak, she took a couple of deep breathes and tightened her hand around the silverette's, as well as leaning a little closer to him.

The two walked inside the dining room and made their way to an empty table, they sat and almost immediately after, a waiter came welcoming them and asking for their orders. They gave them to the young bloke and soon later, Derek said, "So, Tsubasa, what is it that you do in the SC?" He really didn't know much about the girl and say what you will about him, but when it comes to a girl he genuinely likes, he really gets to know them well before moving further.

It is an almost globally known fact that Derek is a playboy, cold, disrespectful and an overall asshole, usually only willing to sate women's carnal desires and nothing more, but there was one thing almost nobody knows and that is that he actually has two girls who could be considered his girlfriends. One would think that the bastard cheats on them but that couldn't be further from the truth since it is them the ones that call themselves 'girlfriends', not him.

The reason for that is simple, he's afraid, Derek is frightened by commitment simply because he's scared of losing them, just like he lost his parents, so he became like this, a guy trying his best to not commit himself to anyone and for the most part, he succeeded. That is until those two girls appeared in his life and for the first time Derek started to feel like he could let them in, but he was adamant in saying no, he tried his hardest to make the two girls hate him, to despise him, but they just wouldn't, simply because those two knew very well why he was so against commitment, they knew him so well that the reason why those two didn't stopped loving him, even after everything he pulled on them, is because he loves them deeply and they know it, even if he doesn't says so.

And now Tsubasa is a girl he really likes, he wanted to see if they had chemistry, if they did, then he will tell her about the other girls in his life, hoping that she would hate him and stop seeing him. It's not that he hates her, he wanted that because there was a huge contradiction in Derek's character, his biggest problem was that once anyone gets past the cold wall built around his heart, he forms a bond with them that he just cannot break, that is why he has two 'girlfriends' and that is why he would consider Ilona important to him as well, once he builds a bond, it becomes unbearable for him to even think of breaking them.

Tsubasa just smiled at him, seemingly more confident now, and replied, "W-Well, I take care of the heavy lifting, like cleaning the school areas or punishing offending students… umm… I a-also take care of everything r-related to the sports clubs…" She then sipped some of the fizzy drink the waiter brought to her and added, "Well, save for your team of course, the Drakes are a semi-pro team, so you deal directly with the Academy's Rector and Luxembourg's Football Association."

Derek just nodded and drank some of his coke as well, he then inquired, "And do you do any sport?"

Tsubasa nodded while saying, "Yup, I d-do volleyball."

Derek then smirked and said, "Oh my, are you going to let me see you play?"

The Yura girl almost spit her drink at the seductive tone her crush used, but not wanting to back down, she said a little coyly with a small smile and blush on her face, "I-I would r-really like you to s-see me play."

Derek just chuckled and then thanked the waiter who had just brought their food and with that, both him and the bluenette dug into their food while exchanging idle chatter, wanting to get to know each other better and finding themselves having really good chemistry.

After thirty minutes of chattering in the dinner, the pair decided to have a little walk to digest their food, so they headed towards the park nearby where Derek said, "So, how about you? Do you want to tell me your story?"

Tsubasa looked at him and smiled a little before she replied, "Only if you tell me yours…" Derek just snorted at her words but nodded none the less, knowing it was a fair trade, "Well, I was born in Tokyo, my family belonged to a clan of martial arts masters, so I grew up in that environment…" She then grabbed his hand and continued, "My parents… they… they died when I was thirteen… I was r-really depressed and tried to… commit suicide… I c-couldn't do it by myself so, I… I c-called a devil…"

"Sona?" Derek deduced.

Tsubasa nodded and continued, "Y-Yes, I asked her to kill me, b-but she refused immediately…" Tsubasa then smiled a little fondly before she added, "I-Instead she… she o-offered me a new life… and I a-accepted."

Derek could tell that Tsubasa was feeling a little down by her admission, probably remembering those days was quite a painful thing, something he knew well. The problem though was that he sucks when it comes to these kind of situations. You want him to make a girl pass out from the greatest orgasm she has ever felt? No problem. You want him to soothe them whenever they feel depressed? Huge fucking problem. Still, he liked Tsubasa, so he thought that she was worth the trouble of emulating those romantic movies he's been forced to see and gave her hand a gentle squeeze alongside a small smile, which much to his relief, appeared to work on the girl as her demeanour lightened up a bit, "You must have been quite surprised when you found out about devils."

Tsubasa chuckled and replied, "N-Not really…" She could tell by Derek's look that he was confused, so she explained, "You see, I-I've… umm… I've always been able to see supernatural things… I… I r-really don't know why, but I could… I k-kicked some low class monsters' butts when I w-was young… so w-when Sona came into my life, I was no longer surprised."

Derek just sniggered and nodded, "I see." He commented dryly.

"What about you?" Tsubasa then asked, wanting to know more about her silverette crush.

"Well…" Derek was about to continue but stopped when he saw a familiar blond-haired girl sitting alone on a bench.

Tsubasa saw that and confused, asked, "What is it? You know her?"

Derek turned to look at the bluenette and began to tell her about the blonde nun, "Well, let's go, we can st…" He was saying before he had to stop as Tsubasa was walking towards Asia.

"Hey!" Tsubasa said with a small smile as she approached the blonde.

Asia was startled a little by the sudden greeting, but turning to look towards the one that spoke, she saw a beautiful rough looking blue-haired girl wearing blue snickers, tight jeans and a red sports jersey with green ornaments. The bluenette was giving her a small yet friendly smile, so Asia greeted timidly, "H-Hello… umm… m-miss…"

"I'm Tsubasa!…" The bluenette introduced herself before she sat by her side and added, "I'm sorry to bother you, but I'm hanging out with someone who knows you." Tsubasa then urged Derek to come close.

 _'_ _Fucking hell…'_ Derek just thought tiredly. He didn't hated Asia, far from it actually, he thought that she was a beautiful kind girl, but she was too meek and weak for his tastes. Plus, she was with the Crows, willingly or not, and he did not wanted to get himself involved in a mess he was sure was going to be too troublesome. Worst of all though, was that he could not stop the feeling of guilt whenever he thought of Asia, something inside his mind was nagging him to help her, but he just kept ignoring that feeling.

"Hey Asia, how are you doing?" Derek said to the surprised girl before he sat by her right side.

Asia felt really surprised to see the silverette here, in fact, she was actually thinking of looking for him and tell him that she was leaving the Fallen, but she did not know where to begin looking. But here he was, almost as if God himself sent him to her, although with a girl, a very pretty girl, "D-Derek!?… u-umm… I'm a-alright…" She didn't know what to say because the bluenette girl was here.

Derek caught that though, prompting him to say, "Don't worry Asia, Tsubasa here is actually a devil."

Asia widened her eyes at that and turned to look at the bluenette, who smiled tenderly saying, "Yes, you don't have a problem with that do you?" Tsubasa felt compelled to help the poor girl, she knew what it was like to feel alone and despaired, and she would be damned if she let anybody go through the same thing, if she could do something, she was going to do it, whether her boyfriend agreed with it or not, _'Wo wo wo! H-He's not your b-boyfriend Tsubasa!… y-yet… a-arg!…'_ She thought as a heavy blush spread across her cheeks.

"No! O-Of course not!" Asia quickly said, waving her hands in refusal.

Tsubasa shook her head and inquired, "Good! Then how are you really?" She developed a caring look to try and appease the nervous nun.

Asia felt a little shy at seeing that the bluenette genuinely seemed worried for her, Derek seemed troubled by something though, but getting back to the question she was asked, the blonde answered, "I-I'm… I'm not i-injured… j-just… a-afraid…"

Tsubasa frowned at that, so wanting to cheer the cute nun up a little, she stood up and dragging Asia to her feet, she urged, "Come on!"

Asia was startled at first before she became confused and questioned, "W-Where?"

"To have some fun!…" The bluenette claimed eagerly as she began to drag the shocked Asia away from the bench, "Derek, come on!" She then pressed her crush to get a move on.

" _Sigh…_ This is not going to end well…" Derek just muttered as he rubbed his face tiredly. We could just outright refuse but he liked Tsubasa, so he didn't wanted to be an asshole to her, plus, the stupid nagging in his head was being even more bothersome than before, so he almost unwillingly stood up and walked towards the two girls, resigning himself at to whatever comes.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Derek, Tsubasa and Asia went on a triple date, with Tsubasa eagerly showing everything about fun to the stupefied Asia who has never seen anything like that in her life, probably due to her being secluded by the Church throughout most of her life.

Derek though, has been finding it more and more difficult to get rid of the guilt of not helping the girl as the minutes passed by, she just acted so much like his baby sister, albeit more naïve of course, that he couldn't help but think of Alice every time he looked at Asia. But even so, it was not as simple as to just barge in and save the day, he was not a nobody, he was not a regular guy that could only cause minor problems with his recklessness, he was the heir of probably the most powerful family in the world, on par with the Rothschild who are the Hamilton's biggest rivals, so any reckless action he makes has the potential to cause a huge political fallout, for both the humans and the supernatural beings. The alliance between the two sides was thin, very thin, if a human dies recklessly at the hands of one of the supernatural beings, the UN is willing to let it go to not cause a massive panic, but if the heir of the Hamilton family dies at the hands of any supernatural being, be it accidental or not, the Hamilton, and by extension the UN, will openly declare war against the supernatural beings.

Derek knew he was strong, on par with Kokabiel, one of the leaders of Grigori, if not slightly better, but even so, Lucifer Morningstar died and he was said to be in the top 10, so he knew that even absolute gods fall.

Derek shook his head to the sides when he felt a slight tugging on his right side, forcing him to look at Asia who was looking at him with worried eyes as she asked timidly, "U-Umm… a-are you… b-bored?"

Derek felt a chill running down his spine when he saw the glare sent his way by a calculating Tsubasa, daring him to say something wrong. Fortunately, Derek while being a failure when it comes to being sentimental, was a huge success when it comes to understanding women and their secret messages, so forming a small smile on his face, he said as he petted Asia, "Nah, I was just thinking some stuff about my family, that's all."

Asia did smiled a little but muttered sadly, "I-It must be nice…"

Both Derek and Tsubasa knew what she was talking about, Derek didn't really wanted to know but Tsubasa feeling already a little protective over the blonde, asked, "Asia, why are you with the Fallen?"

Asia just looked at Tsubasa for some moments, the bluenette could see that Asia was struggling on whether or not trust a devil, thankfully though, she appears to decide on the former when the blonde responded, "I… I w-was excommunicated from the Church… f-for being a h-heretic…" She casted her eyes down to the ground while small droplets of water started to form on her eye-sockets.

Tsubasa rubbed the back of the blonde and said, "But why? You're such a kind and loving girl, all you've done throughout the whole day was thank God… ow!…" Tsubasa winced as she said those words, but continued, "W-Why would those fools brand you as a heretic?"

Asia looked up to Tsubasa before she turned to Derek, she felt a little happy seeing that the two seemed worried about her, well, at least Tsubasa, Derek still looked troubled by something, so feeling that she had nothing else to lose, she explained, "Y-You remember my power right?…" Both Derek and Tsubasa nodded, knowing that she was referring to her Sacred Gear, so Asia continued, "W-Well… at f-first… t-the C-Church and the f-faithful revered me as the 'Holy Maiden', s-sent by the Lord to h-heal their wounds… but… o-one day… I… I s-saw a devil…" The other two present raised an eyebrow at that, intrigued, "He w-was injured… I… I c-couldn't look away…"

Tsubasa managed to piece it all together as she said, "So you healed him and the Church saw it, you were branded as a heretic for helping a devil."

Asia just nodded at those words as she sobbed a little, prompting Tsubasa to hug her while internally cursing the Church, she could not understand why would they do such a thing to such innocent and pure soul, Asia was no heretic, in fact, she was probably the Church's whole beliefs incarnated, yet, they tossed her out like some kind of trash.

Derek for his part just sat there in silence, he now knows why she was excommunicated and he knew it was not for being a heretic though, but if he were to reveal the truth, the poor girl will surely die of a heart attack.

"How pathetic." A sudden voice then broke the three out of their bonding, making them turn to look towards the small lake in front of them, where a tall buxom woman with long blue hair, a maroon trench coat and a skirt that reached her upper knees was floating on the surface with the aid of her two crow-like wings, she was carrying a golden spear and had an expressionless look on her face.

"L-Lady Kalawarner!?" Asia claimed as she released herself from Tsubasa's embrace.

The now identified Kalawarner just kept her eyes expressionless until she saw the form of the calm silverette who was sitting on the bench, resting his forearms on his thighs while leaning his head forward, all the while wearing an uncaring expression, "You! You were the guy Raynare was supposed to kill!" She said while pointing towards the handsome boy.

Derek just stayed in his position as he replied dryly, "Well, looks like she failed don't you think?"

Kalawarner gritted her teeth at the handsome boy's lack of care. She was quite confident in herself, she knew that she would fare well against much of the mid-class beings of the supernatural world, but for some reason the tranquillity the silverette had was unnerving her, a lot, "I don't know what you did to her, she hasn't even spoke since she got back from supposedly killing you…" The buxom bluenette then prepared her golden spear as if to launch it and added, "But thanks to you, I'm in charge now, so I'll grant you a quick death!"

Kalawarner was about to launch her spear but stopped when Asia jumped in between them, saying, "No! P-Please!… L-Lady Kalawarner… I'll… I-I'll g-go with you… j-just… don't h-hurt them, please…"

Tsubasa was gritting her teeth hard while she balled her fists, she wished she could go and punch that bitch's face but she knew better. Technically, while Luxembourg was Rias' territory shared with Sona, the Fallen were not breaking any rules so she could not just go and charge recklessly against her fellow bluenette, it may cause a war.

So both her and Derek could do nothing but let Asia go to Kalawarner, who wrapped her wings around Asia and left saying, "Bye handsome, hopefully we'll see each other again."

After the fallen angel and Asia disappeared, Tsubasa punched one of the pillars in front of her, destroying it. She was frustrated, she really liked Asia, she was kind and did not deserved whatever the Fallen wanted with her, but she couldn't do a thing, she.

Tsubasa immediately turned to look at Derek with pleading eyes, the boy in question saw the look and sighed before he said, "Tsubasa let it go, there's nothing we can do, you may cause a war if you attack them, I have already been seen with you Devils, so the result might be the same."

Tsubasa was having none of that though, as she walked towards him and grabbed his hands, she looked straight at Derek's eyes and said, "D-Derek, I know that I'm not the only g-girl in your life…" Derek did widened his eyes at that, prompting her to explain, "Is not that hard to realise, but we'll talk about that later…" Derek nodded and she continued, "B-But I can see that… you really like me… just like I r-really like you… so please… f-for me… rescue Asia… I promise you, I'll bear any consequences this might cause."

Derek just sighed at that. He was cold, uncaring most of the time, a soldier, a Hamilton who mostly only cared for gathering leverage against his enemies and a battle freak, but for those he cares for, he was willing to wage a war, so he could not stop his head from nodding, action that made Tsubasa smile and jump at his lap to clash her lips against his. He was surprised a little but after the shock wore off, he brought his hands to her butt and kissed back.

Tsubasa then released the kiss and with a huge blush on her face, said coyly, "T-That… that was m-my first kiss…"

Derek just chuckled at that, finding it funny to see the usually muscle-brain bluenette turned into a shy girl, but knowing that it was already getting late, he lifted her up and placed a chaste kiss on her lips before he said, "We'll talk after I deal with this."

"Okay, I'll have to go and warn the President and Rias though, this is their territory in the end, but I'll make sure to delay them enough so you can do your thing…" Tsubasa didn't know why but spending the whole day with the silverette made her feel something incredibly powerful oozing off from him, she could tell by his aura alone that he was powerful, more than even her {King}, "And Derek, thank you." She said with a small but grateful smile as he disappeared in a red flash, surprising her even more, _'Just what are you, Derek?…'_

* * *

 _"_ _Sigh… Even if I told you not to do it, you will disobey me anyway…"_ A tired voice said to Derek through his cell-phone, the voice belonged to Jonathan Hamilton, whom Derek contacted in order to let him know what he was about to do. Needless to say, the Hamilton patriarch was far from elated, _"Just make sure it stays in the Cathedral, remember that the Rothschild are looking for the simplest of excuses to wage war against the supernatural world, even if you are a Hamilton, they will be happy to use either your death or you getting harmed in their bid for war."_

Derek just sighed, knowing that his grandfather was right since the Rothschild family has been eager to start a war against the supernatural world for ages now. Derek didn't know why exactly but he's acquainted with one of the daughters of the patriarch of the family and even she was confused as to why her father was so obstinate with that, "Yeah don't worry, I'll keep it quiet."

 _"_ _Good… oh, don't forget to secure some 'agents'."_ His grandfather said before he cut the call.

Derek just sighed again, finding it too troublesome, but he promised Tsubasa and even if he does not knows why the bluenette was being so stubborn to save Asia, he was a man of his word so he was not going to fail her.

Derek kept his phone on his pocket and began walking leisurely towards the Cathedral of Luxembourg, there was no other soul around, probably due to the magic spell casted on the surroundings, a spell that made everyone who walked inside the premises to turn back, but he wasn't everyone.

"Well, well, well…" A voice then made Derek turn to look up, where a tall man wearing a dark grey coat over a white shirt, black dress pants with matching shoes and a black fedora, ah, and two black feathered wings, was floating while looking at him "A pretty boy walking into the wrong place at the wrong time." The man then said.

A second feminine voice then joined the man when it said, "Ow! He's cute!…" The voice belonged to a blonde girl with her long hair tied in twin ponytails, she had a face that belonged to a kid and blue eyes, a princess-like black and white dress and had a big black bow tie on top of her head, "It's a shame we have to kill you… right Dohnaseek!?" The girl said with sadistic glee.

The now identified Dohnaseek replied, "Yes Mittelt, he have to k…" He stopped though, because he suddenly recognised the silverette who so far, was staring at them with almost sleepy eyes, "Wait a minute…" The man narrowed his eyes and then said, "Isn't he the guy you were supposed to take care of, Raynare?"

Both Dohnaseek and Mittelt turn to look at their last companion, they were surprised though when Raynare was not flying behind them, she was actually on the ground, with slightly wide eyes while standing frozen like a soldier, she was not taking her eyes away from the silverette, "Raynare, what the hell!?" Mittelt screamed, surprised to see the girl who started this whole thing acting like a frightened puppy.

Dohnaseek just turned back towards the silverette and said, "I don't know what you did to Raynare, she was the fiercest of us all, the strongest as well, but ever since she went to take care of you, she hasn't spoken a word…" Dohnaseek then conjured a light spear on his right hand and finished, "But doesn't change a thing, you'll die here anyway."

Dohnaseek groaned though, because Mittelt being her usual rash-self, flew straight towards the silverette with light spear in hand and screaming, "I'll kill you for what you did to Ray!"

Mittelt just cocked her spear back in order to pierce the silverette who so far hadn't even moved, she was grinning victoriously, thinking that the handsome youth was too scared to move, but then, she was the one that widened her eyes in fear when her spear was stopped by his bare hand, he moved his hand in front of his stomach and easily caught the light spear with it, holding Mittelt on her place in the process.

"You're weak…" Derek said coldly as he stared at the frightened girl's blue eyes, he could feel that his hand was bleeding but he didn't cared for that in the slightest, he was used to pain.

The silverette then in a second cocked his fist and punched the frozen girl straight on her face, the hit carried such force that Mittelt was sent flying towards one of the trees that surrounded the back of the Cathedral, the blonde crashed violently against a trunk and fell to the ground almost unconscious.

She painfully tilted her head up and widened her eyes again when the silverette appeared in a red flash right in front of her, giving her the most scary eyes the young fallen angel has ever seen. He finished his sentence, "And weakness disgusts me." Derek then mercilessly raised his left foot and brought it down to the crying girl's head, smashing it against the ground with such force that her skull was shattered followed by her head turning into nothing more but a stain on the ground.

Dohnaseek was frozen shocked, he was actually afraid, this guy had just killed Mittelt in a second and not just that, he did it so swiftly yet brutally that even he was starting to have trouble with his breathing.

Derek just ignored the gore at his feet as he turned to look at the floating man, saying, "Aren't you coming down?"

His words seemed to have broken the Crow from his stupor as he suddenly glided towards him with a roar, the man cocked his spear back and aimed to slash the silverette, but in a move that Dohnaseek could not even see, Derek brought a sword to parry the strike.

"What!?…" Dohnaseek screamed after he recognized the sword, "H-How!?… h-how do y-you have that s-sword!?" He continued as he struggled more and more against the silverette's incredible strength.

Derek just smirked and replied, "Secret."

Dohnaseek was about to say something but suddenly, all around him became black, there was no silver-haired fucker, no Cathedral, no mutilated corpse of his late companion, only black, "W-What is this?…" He whispered, unable to ignore the frightened shiver running down his body.

"You know…" A voice was suddenly heard, forcing Dohnaseek to look around, frantically trying to find the source, "There is this anime that I like, it's called 'Naruto', in that show there are some brilliant techniques but there are two that are my favourites…" After the voice said that, a red flash appeared in front of Dohnaseek and soon later, a hand grabbed him by the neck, he was shocked to see the silverette there, holding his neck with such force that he couldn't even struggle, "One is the 'Thunder God', which is basically what you just saw…" Derek said, referring to the red flash, "And the other one is called 'Tsukuyomi', which creates a world where the caster is in complete control." He gestured the infinite darkness surrounding them.

The place around Dohnaseek then started to turn blood red as Derek became a horrific black shadow, "I actually managed to blatantly copy those two techniques into the real world…" Dohnaseek just stared in fear as the shadow in front of him suddenly grinned horrifically, showing sharp white teeth before the shadow said, "Bad luck for you."

Back in the real world, Dohnaseek fell to the ground while screaming silently, hitting his head as if trying to get something out of it. The fallen angel then looked at his side and grabbed his light spear and without missing a beat, he pierced his own head with it, falling dead to the ground seconds later.

Derek just looked at the dead body before he walked towards Raynare, who was looking at him with scared eyes, "Are you going to attack me?…" Derek asked as he stood before Raynare, who only shook her head in no as she grabbed her skirt nervously, "Then stay here while I finish this." He commanded before he walked inside the Cathedral.

Raynare just nodded and stared at the back of the silverette before she walked towards the nearest tree and sit on it while resting her back against the trunk. She was no longer under his control and she knew that the silverette knew it, but she wanted to know something, so she will wait for him.

* * *

"Looks like the fool knows his limits…" Derek muttered after he walked inside the Cathedral. He could tell by smell that the crazy priest known as Freed was inside the place waiting for him, but the white-haired tosser probably saw him fight the two Crows and knew that he could not defeat him, so ran away, "Wise move." He just added as he made his way towards the altar.

Derek looked around until his ears told him of an almost unnoticeable sound coming from below him, so knowing that there was something below, he brought his palm forward and in front of it, a small ball of energy, the size of a marble, shot out straight towards the floor, blowing it up immediately.

"Dammit…" Kalawarner cursed as she increased the speed of her ritual. She knew that someone was already here due to the explosion that shook the basement she was in, so after finally finishing, she laughed as two glowing green rings appeared from the chest of the tied Asia, who was bounded to a crux as if crucified, "You're late!" The bluenette screamed victorious as she held the two rings forward so the silverette could see.

"… D-De… rek?…" Asia mumbled weakly as she looked towards the silverette who was on the far side of the room.

Derek just narrowed his eyes at the sight, at least three dozen hooded figures were standing at the feet of some stairs that led to a platform where Kalawarner was standing arrogantly with Asia behind her, tied to a crux, and Derek could see that he was already late.

Kalawarner placed the rings on her fingers and claimed after, "Hahaha!… I don't know what you are or what did you do to Dohnaseek, Mittelt or Raynare, but it doesn't matter anymore…" She then unfolded her wings and proclaimed, "I am invincible now!"

After Kalawarner urged the hooded figures forward, Derek just brought both hands up front and two marbles of energy formed on his palms, marbles that immediately shot at the charging people who were laughing at how weak his magic was. A huge mistake that caused their death the minute the marbles clashed against the ground in front of them, where soon later, a huge explosion occurred that shook the whole place.

Kalawarner just widened her eyes at what she just saw, shocked to see such power. She shivered as she questioned, "W-What the hell!? What the f-fuck are you!?"

"Your last mistake." A masculine voice then said behind her, making her eyes widened in fear since she could not even detect the silverette moving.

Kalawarner was about to turn to try to impale the handsome guy with her spear, but faster than she could even register, the silverette kicked her back and send her flying straight to the ground, making her crash face first to the floor.

"Ah!" Was all the bluenette buxom could say as she was painfully trying to get back up from the landing, a thing she could not do because suddenly, a hand pushed her face towards the ground again, this time with even more force, not allowing her to even struggle due to the strength placed on the hand pushing her face down.

"I've had enough of your stupid banter." Derek said coldly as he took the rings off of Kalawarner's fingers, he kept them in his pocket and violently turned Kalawarner on her back, forcing her to stare at him.

"I d-don't know… w-what are you… but… I c-can see w-why Lord A-Azazel wanted Raynare to w-watch you…" Kalawarner the hissed in pain as she stared at those gorgeous blue eyes before she added, "And w-why Lord K-Kokabiel wanted you dead."

Derek just chuckled dryly, not taking his eyes away from her, "Normally, I would kill you, just like I did with your fellow Crows." The bluenette immediately paled and sent him pleading eyes, knowing that she could do naught to escape.

"P-Please!… f-forgive me… I'll do anything!… I-I'll be yours!" The bluenette pleaded with some tears in her eyes, tears Derek could see were honest but that was to be expected, nobody really wanted to die after all.

"Oh, you'll be mine yes, but not in the way you think…" Derek said before he turned his eyes into something frightening, his normal blue iris and white sclera turned pitch black while in the centre, a raging golden sun-like pupil appeared spinning rapidly.

Kalawarner widened her eyes at seeing that, she knew what those eyes were, who didn't? They were equally feared and revered by every supernatural being, but she knew they were supposed to be extinct, how co…

Derek brought his normal eyes back after seeing that Kalawarner passed out, his illusion starting to make its work on her, so sighing, he stood up and made his way towards Asia. He cut the chains that kept her bound to the crux and caught her in his arms once she fell, he was surprised to see that Asia was still alive.

"… Y-You… c-came…" The blonde whispered with a smile as she tried to coo in his arms, an impossible thing to do due to her life being almost depleted.

Derek just placed the rings on Asia's chest and saw how they disappeared inside her bosom, returning to their rightful place. He knew it was already too late but at least this way, she'll die in good company, "Of course, we're friends and that's what friends do." He said with a small smile as he caressed her cheek, trying to make her last moments as comfortable as he could.

Asia managed to smile widely at that and Derek could see that she was going to say something, but she then fell completely limp, finally losing the fight and falling down into death's embrace.

Derek just sighed sadly, he could feel that a single tear dropped from his eyes, "I'm sorry Asia… I should've helped you… I'm really sorry." He was not someone who duelled in the past or in his mistakes, and this one was probably one of the worst he's made in his life, but there was nothing he could do anymore, so he just stood up and carried Asia's body on his right shoulder.

The silverette walked down the stairs and walked towards Kalawarner, he kneeled down and placed her on his left shoulder and made his way towards the back door of the Cathedral, where Raynare was surely waiting from him.

Raynare saw Derek coming out from the Cathedral, she gulped when he saw him carrying both Asia and Kalawarner on his shoulders, dropping Kalawarner unceremoniously to the ground before he gently set Asia's body down. Raynare did not know what to say, this was her plan so it was her fault, she was already prepared to die, so imagine her surprise when the silverette asked, "How are you feeling?"

Raynare couldn't understand why he was asking her that, but not knowing what else to do, she replied, "Y-You mean from w-what you did to me?…" She was talking about the strange illusion he placed her in. In said illusion, she had pledged loyalty to him and could not do anything that went against her 'master'. The silverette nodded his head, prompting her to say, "W-Well, it's all right… I… umm… I have n-no mental damage i-if that's what you're as-asking."

Derek just nodded as he said, "Good, I was unsure of how the effect would linger on you…" Derek then could see that Raynare wanted to know more about what he did to her, but knowing that Tsubasa was going to be here soon, no doubt accompanied by either the Sitri group or the Gremory group, he added, "I can't explain what I did to you right now, there's no time, so I'll tell you later."

Raynare felt a little unsure about his words, so inquired, "W-What do you m-mean 'later'?"

Derek just looked at her and replied dryly, a little bit of his commanding aura surrounding the buxom blackette, "Don't act like a fool, you and Kalawarner now work for me, you'll only answer to me from now on."

Raynare widened her eyes at that, she knew she needed to fight back, she knew she had to go and tell her bosses about this, about his eyes, but for some strange reason she could not disobey him and the worst part was that she knew that it was on her own accord, the silverette was not forcing her in any way and she did not know why, so she only nodded in yes, not able to do anything else.

"You and Kalawarner will go back to the Grigori, I want you to report to me every week about things that might endanger the peace between humans and the supernatural beings, if you hear something that might endanger your peace with the rest of the Factions or Mythologies, let me now as well." Derek commanded as he picked Kalawarner up and placed her in Raynare's arms.

Raynare nodded but did not know why she uttered with a disappointed voice, "So that's why you let me live." She looked down a little, she did not feel right with spying on her leaders but she could see that the silverette only wanted to know about things that will endanger peace, so she knew he was not after Azazel or the rest of the Fallen leaders, but still, she felt disappointed that that was all she was good for now.

"No…" Derek's voice then made her look at him with obvious surprise, "I kept you alive because I promised you that I will make sure that you survive everything that's about to happen…" Derek walked towards Asia and finished, "And that's a promise I'll keep for the rest of my days."

Raynare stood there frozen for a bit, not able to hide her reddening cheeks due to the memory of him promising that, but there was still something that she wanted to know, so asked frightfully, "A-Are you just going to let me go?… k-knowing that I know a-about your… _gulp_ … eyes?…"

Derek looked back at her and answered, "Yes, because you know very well what would happen if you let anyone know about that… now go, the Devils are coming."

Raynare just gulped at the mere thought, if anybody finds out that those eyes have returned, a global war will surely come, every Faction wanting to get those eyes for themselves, so she just nodded and seeing that she was dismissed, she unfolded her wings and took off towards the Grigori HQ, not wanting to anger her new master, _'What the hell!? W-Where did that came from!?…'_ Raynare just thought confused as she sailed through the night sky.

Derek stayed there with Asia's body for some minutes, until five presences then ran towards him, "Derek!…" The voice of Tsubasa was heard as she kneeled beside him, that's when she realised the dead state of Asia, "Oh no… A-Asia…" The bluenette let out some tears as she grabbed the body of the blonde.

Derek just sighed tiredly as he stood up, he hated himself right now for failing Tsubasa, "I'm surprised to see you lads here." He said as he looked at the Gremory group.

"Well, Tsubasa came to us asking for our help and this is my territory after all…" Rias said as she walked to stand beside her crush, "You got a lot of explaining to do." She added quietly, not wanting to disturb Tsubasa as she held the cute blonde.

"Yeah…" Derek just muttered while watching Tsubasa, he did not know why Asia was so important to Tsubasa, but not wanting to fail her and also wanting to make amends for his mistake of not helping Asia before, Derek looked at Rias and requested, "I need you to do me a favour."

Rias looked back at him confused, "W-What is it?"

Derek sighed and replied, "Make Asia your servant…" The Gremory group widened their eyes at those words, forcing Derek to explain, "She's a Sacred Gear possessor, so she will be useful to you, plus, if you do that, I'll… _sigh_ … I'll join the ORC… not your peerage!… only your club."

Rias and her peerage felt startled by his words, but Rias broke out of her stupor first and not wanting him to think of her as someone who only cared for what she could get in return, quickly said, "Y-You don't have to d-do that, you… umm… y-you're my friend and… I'll d-do it for our friendship, plus…" She then looked at Tsubasa and added, "Tsubasa will be happy and she's my friend too."

Derek raised an eyebrow at that, really surprised to hear Rias saying those words, he at first thought that she said that just so she could look good in his eyes, since he of course knew that Rias had a slight crush on him, but he was relieved to see that Rias' words were genuine.

"Tsubasa, I'm going to revive Asia as my {Bishop}, alright?" Rias said to Tsubasa once she reached the pair.

Tsubasa widened her eyes at that and immediately turned to look at Derek who nodded slightly at her, so gently putting Asia's body in the ground, she stepped back and watched Rias putting a {Bishop} piece in Asia's chest before the crimson-haired beauty chanted, "In the name of Rias Gremory, I call to Asia Argento, hear my command, return thy soul from the shadows of death to the living realm, rise once more as my demon servant, rejoice, for you have been giving new life!"

After those words, the magic circle that was below Asia's body began to glow brighter and soon later, the chess piece on her chest dissipated inside Asia. The whole place was then lighted with red light before it stopped and after everyone turned to look at Asia, the blonde slowly opened her eyes.

"Asia!" Tsubasa screamed as she ran towards the confused girl.

"Thanks." Derek said to Rias once she walked to him.

Rias just smiled honestly and while looking at Asia and Tsubasa who was explaining everything to the blonde ex-nun, she replied, "Don't worry about it, it was my pleasure to help."

Derek snickered a little before saying, "Yeah well, I'm still keeping my word."

Rias and the Gremory group looked at him confused, prompting Akeno to ask, "What word?"

Derek just turned and started walking away before he said, "I'm joining the ORC…" Rias and her peerage widened their eyes at that, not able to hide their surprise and joy at hearing those words, "I'll see you tomorrow." With that, he disappeared in a red flash, knowing that Tsubasa would want to spend some time with her new friend for now.

"I really, really hope he's into polygamy." Akeno commented with a blush, making her peerage look at her with shock.

Tsubasa just smiled while looking at where her 'boyfriend' previously stood, feeling really grateful to him for keeping his word. She did felt somewhat jealous that the ORC girls and even Asia were obviously interested in Derek as well, but for now, she just decided to look after Asia and spend the rest of the night with her new friend, tomorrow she will clear everything up with the silverette.

* * *

"Uff…" Derek muttered after he finally stepped inside his house. After flashing away to look like a total badass back there at the Cathedral, he had to smack his head against the wall when he remembered that he had left his car back at Luxembourg's downtown, so he had to flash back to his car and go back home.

Derek then just went to the kitchen and once inside, opened the fridge and got a frozen pizza from it, he placed it on the microwave and waited for it to be done. He sighed once it was finished and took the pizza out, heading towards the small bar in the kitchen where sat on a chair and began to eat.

 ** _"_** ** _You're getting a little bit reckless don't you think?"_** The voice of his dragon partner was then heard inside his mind.

Derek just shrugged before he replied, _"Well maybe, but it doesn't matter anyway, it's not like I have many more years to live happily ever after."_

Ddraig just sighed silently, he knew of his partner's 'predicament' very well indeed, **_"I wasn't talking about that, I was talking about you revealing too much of your power, people will find out the truth about you if you continue this."_** The beast further explained.

Derek did sighed at that but added, _"I don't think it really matters anymore, we both know very well why my grandfather and Solomon sent me here…"_ Derek was always confused as to why he was sent to Luxembourg, it just seemed too weird for him when there were so many more options, but the reason was revealed to him back when the Academy wrongfully declared him dead. When Jonathan called him to see if he was okay, the Hamilton patriarch revealed that he was sent there for a mission, by both him and Solomon Agares, they had apparently received word that Kokabiel, who was supposed to have gone rogue, was planning something big in the city and if previous experiences the silverette had with the old warmonger were anything to go by, he knew that he was plotting to start a war, probably using the two little sisters of two of the four Lords of Hell as catalysts, _"Why do I always get dragged into this troublesome rubbish?…"_ He thought tiredly.

 ** _"_** ** _The luck of a drag…"_** Ddraig said before he widened his giant eyes after Derek abruptly stopped all he was doing. It appears that Ddraig had also remembered a little threat his partner made some days ago, so the mighty Heavenly Dragon warned, **_"Don't. You. Dare."_**

Derek just kept quiet as he walked upstairs to his room, he took off his jacket and his sneakers and then grabbed his phone, he opened an app that streams music online and after finding the song he was looking for, walked to his speakers and connected the phone before hitting play and going to his bed to wait for the coming torment, which came soon later when from the speakers was heard, " _Coming over in my direction_ _≈… ≈_ _So thankful for that, is such a blessing, yeah≈… ≈Turn every situation into heaven, yeah≈…_ "

 ** _"_** ** _Derek!"_** Was all the mighty Red Dragon Emperor could say as he tried his hardest to endure such torture, with Derek muttering _you can do it_ over and over again, trying to encourage himself to endure the coming night.

For the rest of the night, all that was heard inside the house of the Hamilton heir was the speakers blasting the infernal song as punishment over and over again, a punishment that Derek was not sure if it was for Ddraig, for him, or for both.

* * *

 **A/N: There ya have it, hope you liked it, see ya later, cheers!**


	3. Sinful Escapades

**A/N: Hello people! Welcome to a new chapter of ODAD! Sorry it took me this long but this story's chapters are turning out very lengthy, so they take more time, but anyway, let me explain some things.**

 **I hadn't said anything about the pairing but this is DXD, so you already know it, but there will be some different things. Some of you want to know who's the main pair, well, there isn't a main pair, though, you could say it's Seekvaria, the thing is, Derek will have sex with many characters in this story, he will flirt and accept advances from different girls, but that does not means that every girl he sleeps or flirts with is going to be in a relationship with him, some will, some will not, I really haven't figured it out yet. There is one thing I can say though and that is that younger girls are out of the question for now, that includes Ravel, Koneko and such, it might change as they grow up but for now they're out. To the Asia lovers out there, sorry to disappoint you, but she's so far the only female definitely out of the list, simply because her character does not work with Derek, she is too weak and naive for him, so she will not be with him in this one.**

 **I have updated the cover of this story to show you guys how the OC looks, I just used an online app to create it quickly, so don't complain.**

 **This chapter contains a lemon, there is a warning before it happens in case you fellas want to skip it.**

 **I think that's it for now, so enjoy!**

"Derek" - Normal Speech.

 _'Derek'_ \- Thought.

 _"Derek"_ \- Derek mentally speaking.

 **"Ddraig"** \- Ddraig/Albion speaking through the Sacred Gears/Divinities talking.

 _ **"Ddraig"**_ \- Ddraig speaking inside Derek's mind.

 ** _'Ddraig'_** \- Ddraig/Albion/Being thinking.

* * *

 **Sinful Escapades**

" _=And now let's head to the San Siro! Where AC Milan played their toughest game yet, against a sad and weak Roma who didn't seemed to have any will to play=…_ " A voice said coming from the television placed in Derek's living room. The silverette in question was sitting lazily on the couch wearing only his pants, leaving his well-trained but heavily scarred torso uncovered, " _=Milan managed to get themselves on top thanks to two goals scored by André Silva, but_ _Džeko_ _managed to score at the beginning of the second half and thanks to an own goal from Riccardo Montolivo, Roma managed to catch up to the Rossoneri on the board, but a late goal from nineteen year old wonderkid Patrick Cutrone gave the Milan side the win, placing them in joint second with Juventus, just 3 points behind current league leaders Napoli.=_ "

" _Pft_ … Seriously, Montolivo needs to get the fuck out of the club as soon as possible, mate." One silver-haired male muttered as he continued watching the TV and took a sip of his cold beer.

The Hamilton heir's attention was suddenly brought to his hand though, when a mark in his right palm started to glow, blinking as if letting him now a message has come for him. The mark in his hand was dark grey, it had a circular shape with strange runes and symbols on the circle and the imagine of a demonic looking dragon skull in the middle, this mark was the one he places on all of those that work for him as his agents, so he knew that he was being called by one of them, "Let's see what they have for me." Derek said before he aimed his hand towards the other side of the living room and after focusing some of his aura on the mark, the same seal glowing on his hand appeared on the floor some steps away from him.

The room soon lighted up when the seal started glowing and after some seconds, two female figures appeared from the seal, "Lord Derek." Both females said in unison as they saluted him like soldiers.

Derek sighed heavily as he looked at Raynare and Kalawarner, it has been two weeks since the Cathedral incident and they have already reported back to him three times prior this one, he already explained them what happened to them and the truth about his eyes. The Hamilton was surprised though, when the two females seemed to accept it easily, he even told them that they were free, all he wanted was to know whenever something that could endanger the peace between humans and mythologies happens, but to his surprise, the two females apparently wanted to be under his wing, he understood why of course but he still found it surprising.

"For the fourth time, do not call me 'Lord'…" Derek said annoyed after he brought his gaze back to the TV, "And stop standing there like maids, I told you girls already, you're not my toys, servants or anything like that, you work for me yes, but you're not objects…" He patted the couch and finished, "So come, take a sit and grab a beer."

Kalawarner and Raynare both felt shocked at what he said, sure, he had said it before but they always had a hard time believing his words, but this time he genuinely sounded annoyed, so it appears that both girls finally got the idea and made their way to the couch, albeit a little coyly.

Both females gulped as they sat, Derek was the handsomest man they have ever seen and he was showing his amazing body to them right now, knowing what he truly was also increased greatly their attraction for him, "W-What are you wa-watching, Master?" Raynare said shyly as she grabbed a beer and looked at the man.

Derek just sighed again with his eyes closed, "Master?" He asked annoyed.

Raynare smiled coyly when she answered, "I-I'm sorry b-but… I… I w-would feel better if you l-let me call you like that…"

"M-Me too…" Kalawarner added as she grabbed her beer, wearing the same blush on her cheeks while sitting next to the heir.

The Hamilton just snorted at that, relenting, "Alright, you can call me that…" He then sipped his beer again and replied the earlier question, "I'm watching ESPN FC."

Both girls chuckled a little, with Kalawarner stating, "You never get tired of sports, right Master?"

Derek looked at her and smirked charmingly, making her blush and fawn as he replied, "Never, I think that's the only redeeming quality we humans truly have…" He looked back at the TV and explained, "Sports are a representation of war, they were created to alleviate tensions and frustrations between countries, factions, families, groups or whatever, and while it basically represents our will to fight and win it all, it also represents the best of humanity, fair play, raw emotion, peace, acceptance and union it helps to send to the millions of people, especially the young ones, who watch them. Sports have the ability to show humanity's true self, true emotions, and that's why I love it, because it constantly reminds me that my kind is not too far gone."

The two Fallen Angels were completely stunned by his words, they had never put a thought into sports, thinking that it was an activity for brutes who only wanted to vent some kind of thing, but hearing Derek saying those words and finding complete truth in them made them feel really dumb, but they also felt awed as well, awed at his way of thinking.

"So, anyway…" Derek then said as he looked at the two beauties sitting by his sides, "What do you got for me?" He asked.

Both females shook their heads to bring their focus back and after some moments, Raynare said, "R-Right! Umm… w-we were sent as guards for Lord A-Azazel… in the m-mission we… w-we heard something interesting."

Derek raised an eyebrow at that, so asked, "What did you heard?"

Kalawarner placed her beer on the table and answered, "It is as you t-told us, apparently Lord Kokabiel has gone rogue."

Derek hummed at that for some moments, he already knew that but now hearing a confirmation was making him consider many factors, "If Kokabiel has gone rogue, why is Azazel not doing shit?…" He asked, finding it strange that the leader of the Fallen Angels was apparently not interested in stopping his subordinate, "I mean, it's not like we don't know what that old warmonger wants, so why is your leader sitting idly by?"

Both girls just looked at each other before Raynare said with a shrug, "We really don't know."

"It is strange from Lord Azazel…" Kalawarner added before she too shrugged as she added, "But he is a strange character."

"Does he not cares at all if the war restarts?" Derek asked, he really didn't know much about the Grigori leader, he was only informed by his grandfather about who he was and his position.

"I-I… I r-really don't know, M-Master…" Raynare said a little timidly, feeling frustrated for the disappointment in herself at not being able to answer her Master's question, even if she still felt really confused as to why does the mere thought of disappointing him bothered her so greatly.

"I don't know either… b-but I do k-know that Lord Azazel has never b-been an advocate of war…" Kalawarner added before she sighed and continued, "His only interests seem to be his research of t-the Sacred Gears and c-collecting human objects."

Derek nodded at that, he did heard from Solomon Agares that the Fallen Angels' leader was a peaceful guy, "Whatever his moti…" Derek was saying before he realized something, "That slick old crow." He muttered as he sniggered.

The two girls felt really confused when it appeared that their Master has realized something, so wanting to be on the loop, Raynare asked, "Umm… y-you know something, M-Master?"

Derek just nodded his head a little before he responded, "Yeah, I think I might've just realized what the sly fucker wants to do…" He then grabbed his beer and after taking a sip, added, "And let me tell you, if it works, I'm going to personally go meet him and congratulate the fuck out of him."

The two Fallen Angels felt even more confused by his words, so Kalawarner asked, "I-I… can you tell us?"

Derek turned to look at her and then at Raynare before he looked back at the front and said, "Sorry luvs, but I don't like to speak about things I'm not a hundred percent sure…" He saw that both felt a little down at his refusal, so feeling somewhat annoyed that he made them sad, he tried to soothe them a little by saying, "But don't worry, once I'm completely sure about it, I'll tell you."

Both girls did feel better by his words but they were a little surprised as well because they know that the silverette is cold and most of the time uncaring about others, but he seemed to say that only to make them feel better, they didn't know if he truly meant the concern but they were going to take it none the less, they liked it, a lot.

"Anyway… t-the problem is f-finding out where Lord Kokabiel is." Kalawarner then said as she eyed the silverette's torso, she loved it, it was so firm and toned but those damn scars, the so many scares that stained his body, she hated them. Like Raynare, she too hated seeing them, it meant that the Hamilton heir had too many close calls and that scared them, she knows she shouldn't have gotten attached so soon to the young man, more so when he seems to not care about anyone, clearly not even himself, but for the past two weeks she has been under his service she has come to accept her own attachment. Sure, she felt really confused when she woke up after killing the nun, she had thought that the silverette had killed her, but to her surprise, she woke up in a room inside the Grigori HQ, with Raynare right next to her, immediately explaining her everything. At first, the bluenette buxom wanted to scream, she wanted to go and tell everything to Azazel, but just when she was about to walk inside his office, she stopped, she could not bring herself to betray the silverette, even after meeting with Derek some days later, she knew that she was no longer under his control but yet, she did not wanted to betray him, so she just accepted it.

Derek just snorted and replied, "He's either coming here to Luxembourg or he's already here, hiding like the fucking rat he is."

Both females widened their eyes at that, with Raynare asking, "H-How do you know!?"

The blue-eyed man just shrugged as he replied, "He obviously wants to cause the war to continue. What better way to do it than to bring the Holy Swords he stole from the Church here to Luxembourg? Where the two little sisters of two of the current Satans reside."

Both females widened their eyes even more at the realization, they were hundreds of years old in the end so they were not stupid, they could piece it all together now. Kokabiel probably wants to bring the swords here to attract the Angels, they would be coming into Devils' territory and with a Cadre openly attacking them both, war will surely resume, "W-Wait!…" Raynare then said after she realized something, so asked, "H-How do you know about the Holy S-Swords!? I w-was informed by Kokabiel just b-before you turned me, I didn't even knew that he betrayed u-us, so h-how did you know about it!?"

Derek just looked at her and with a smirk, he responded, "How do you think I got myself this…" He brought his arm forward and soon later, a sword started to appear in front of him, a sword that both females recognised well.

"T-That's!…" Kalawarner whispered as she stared shocked at the sword.

"E-Excalibur Nightmare…" Raynare whispered after, she remembered seeing the silverette using a sword against Dohnaseek but back then she was too lost in her shock to be aware of what truly was.

"That's right, one of the swords he stole, this is how I killed that guy named Dohnaseek, I induced him into a nightmare." Derek replied as he moved the sword around.

Both girls were shocked by that, with Kalawarner whispering a question, "B-But… h-how did you g-get it!?"

"Have you heard about Somalia?" Derek inquired back as he looked at the girls.

Both females widened their eyes again, with Raynare saying, "W-Wait… don't t-tell me… it was y-you!?" They both knew very well what he was talking about. Apparently, three years ago, Kokabiel had a secret base in Somalia, where he housed whatever things he stole and some of the men loyal to him. But one day, it was completely destroyed, the event forced Kokabiel himself to go and fight, a fight which he lost.

"Yeah, it was me and my team…" Derek said with a bitter voice, but he added before the girls questioned him about it, "I took this sword away from Kokabiel's own hands, he left a pretty awful scar though." He pointed towards his biggest scar, which was a somewhat thin line, at least 15 cm long, just beside where his heart is.

Kalawarner didn't know why but she brought her hand to his scar and traced it delicately with her finger, almost as if trying to heal it, "Y-You… almost d-died…" She whispered as she looked at the scar.

Derek just sighed as he said, "Yeah, hadn't I managed to move at the very last moment, his spear would have pierced my heart…" He didn't know why both girls seemed to be getting too concerned about his scars, but he decided to leave it for later as he added with a fierce smirk, "But don't worry, my memento was way bigger."

Both females titled their heads at that as for some moments they were confused until they finally remembered a little detail about the Cadre, "N-No way!" Raynare shouted.

Kalawarner placed her palm on his chest and pushed him against the couch, she almost jumped on top of him to say, "Y-You!… y-you were the one that…"

Derek just snickered with a smirk as he finished for her, "Cut the wanker's arm?… yeah, it was me…" He then brought the sword up and said, "With this very sword…" The silverette looked back at them and added, "That's why I'm sure he's as eager to see me, as I am to see him."

Both females were once again stunned, they did not know how truly strong the silverette was but Kokabiel is a ten-winged Cadre, there are very few above him in the Grigori when it comes to raw power and back then, when he returned heavily injured and with an arm severed, the Fallen Angels felt really concerned. They all knew that it was not the job of Devils or Angels, and for some months the Grigori remained confused, until Azazel revealed to them the existence of a human military team, comprised by five humans who apparently possessed Sacred Gears, the team was known as 'Ghosts' as they never left any trace and much like the real paranormal entities, you wouldn't sense their presence until they were already behind you. Kokabiel himself later revealed that the one that defeated him was the leader of said team and tried to use that to push for a war against humans, but Azazel immediately refused, telling Kokabiel that he very well knew why the Ghosts attacked him. The warmonger surprisingly shut his trap and left furious, leaving everyone else in that room confused as to what truly transpired that day.

"Y-You are… the l-leader of… Ghosts…" Raynare then whispered as she eyed a little fearfully at her Master.

Kalawarner did the same but she did not removed herself from his side, making him sigh tiredly before he replied, "Yes, I used to be their leader."

Kalawarner tilted her head a little as she asked, "U-Used to?"

"Yes, used to, Ghosts no longer exists." Derek then replied dryly.

"Why n-not?" Raynare inquired as she sat next to him again, scooting a little closer.

Derek closed his eyes and leaned back a little as he responded with a hollow voice, "Because they're dead."

Both Raynare and Kalawarner widened their eyes at that, feeling guilty for potentially bringing up painful memories to their Master, so Raynare immediately apologised, "I-I'm sorry Ma-Master! I d-didn't mea…" She was stopped by the silverette however.

"It's okay Raynare…" Derek opened his eyes and locked them on Raynare's, "I'm not hurt about it or anything the like, after all…" The silverette sipped his beer and then added with such coldness it made the fallen females shiver in fright, "It was me who killed them."

Both fallen girls gulped at that, he said it with such ease that it reminded them that this guy might have his moments of tenderness, but his true self was far from being the good guy.

"I know how it sounds, but trust me, they forced my hand, well, three of them really. Luis, Niko and Akio betrayed Aleister and I, so I had to make a tough choice…" Derek explained as he looked at his hand. He balled it into a fist and finished with absolutely no remorse in his voice whatsoever, "And I regret nothing, good riddance to those three."

The black-haired girl along with the blue-haired girl felt really confused as what to do or how to react since normally, a betrayal would cause someone to feel pain, to feel sadness, anger. When it comes to leaders who were betrayed, they usually felt regret and impotence at failing to keep their teams together. But Derek, he didn't seemed to regret it at all, not even hatred towards the ones that betrayed him seems to be present in his heart, he just did what he had to do and moved on, unwavered.

Feeling the gloominess and confusion of the two women sitting by his sides, Derek grabbed his beer and gulped the rest of the liquid down before he said, "That's enough gloominess for now…" That seemed to work for the two girls, who shook their heads and got rid of all troubled thoughts, for now at least, "Thanks for the info, you may go if you so wish." He then added as he turned his attention back to the TV.

Raynare nodded and stood up, she was about to walk to where she could cast her teleportation seal but was confused when she saw her bluenette partner still there, touching Derek's chest, "K-Kalawarner?" Raynare asked confused.

Derek too felt confused at the bluenette's actions, prompting Kalawarner to look down at the floor as she said with a really meek voice, "U-Umm… I… I w-was wondering… i-if… umm… d-do we g-get a… r-reward?…" She then looked at the silverette and while sporting a huge blush, she finished, "Y-You know… Mas-Master… f-for… d-doing a good job…"

Raynare was completely shocked at what she just heard coming from her partner, "K-Kalawarner!… w-what the h-hell are y-you even saying!?" The blackette screamed with an embarrassed blush on her cheeks.

Kalawarner looked at Raynare and in a strange change of demeanour, she spoke almost like a bratty teenager, "H-Hey! It's been y-years since I've e-enjoyed carnal p-pleasure! I h-have an itch t-that only Master can s-scratch!…" She then stood up and while pointing at the stunned blackette accusingly, added, "A-And don't act as i-if you don't w-want to feel Master's touch as well!"

Raynare was completely shocked as a huge blush formed on her cheeks, she was trying to deny Kalawarner's words but she just couldn't, Derek was the object of her devotion now and for the past two weeks she has been pleasuring herself while thinking of the silverette, so the only thing she could do was sputter nonsense as she opened and closed her mouth like a fish out of the water.

Derek's chuckle brought both females' attention back to him, making them both blush even harsher in embarrassment because for a moment there they forgot that they were in his presence, "A reward you say, huh?" He spoke with a charming smirk that melted both females.

Kalawarner and Raynare gulped at the same time before they looked at each other, they then looked back at the Hamilton heir and nodded ever so slightly, still feeling incredibly shy even though they have seduced many men in their long lives, "I don't see why not." Derek declared huskily as he stood up and looked at them with a predatory gaze that made both females squirm in anticipation, they knew they were in for a rough night and they couldn't help but lust at the mere thought.

* * *

A beautiful curvy female could be seen working on a huge robot-like suit. The female in question had blond hair with tints of light green, her attire consisted of a noble blue and white suit with golden lines adorning the whole outfit, she had dazzling pink eyes that gave off a cold vibe protected by a pair of glasses and had her full attention on her current work. That was until the sound of a bird chirping along with the room heating up a little broke her attention, making her eyes narrow in irritation.

"Ah! Seekvaria…" A smug voice was heard saying from behind her. The voice belonged to a blond tall man with short hair, his eyes were deep blue and was wearing a white shirt that wasn't fully buttoned, showing his chest. Over it, a burgundy blazer with gold embroidery on the right with matching pants and black dress shoes, "It's always such a fantastic delight to see you." The man added as he eyed the woman's fantastic figure.

Seekvaria for her part continued working on her machine, not even caring for his presence as she replied, "Leave before I kill you, Raiser."

The now identified Raiser just laughed haughtily as he continued walking closer to her while saying, "Ah… you've always been so cold and heartless…" He stood right behind her and was about to grab her waist before he suddenly yelled in pain when he crashed against a wall, "W-What the hell!?…" He screamed confused. For a moment there, he had no idea what just happened, that is until he remembered the Agares' special ability, "You've attained control of time!?" He asked as he stood up.

Seekvaria fixed her glasses and with a bored and annoyed gaze, replied, "Yes, so unless you want to die right now, say what you want to say and leave."

Raiser cleaned the dust from his clothes and recovering his smug smirk, said, "Hahaha… Raiser certainly loves your strength… that's why Raiser wanted to see if you're interested in having some… _fun_ …" He then walked towards her, though this time, he stopped some steps away from her.

Seekvaria just scowled in disgust as she replied, "Aren't you engaged to Rias?"

Raiser just smirked as he replied, "Yes and our lovely wedding has been advanced actually…" He crossed his arms and as he eyed the Agares heiress' body lustfully, added, "That's why Raiser wanted to have his way with you now, you've always been one of Raiser's biggest desires, Seekvaria."

Seekvaria just laughed cynically when she replied, "As if I'll ever let a pathetic bird to touch me…" She walked towards her machine again and added without missing a beat, "My body belongs to my Fiancé and while he's not the jealous type, if I ask him to annihilate you, he will not hesitate to do it."

Raiser narrowed his eyes at her as he questioned, "Fiancé? I never heard you were engaged."

"You're not important enough to know." Seekvaria responded as she grabbed her tools.

Raiser was about to say something but a hand on his shoulder stopped him, making him turn to look at a tall and buffed black-haired man wearing the same outfit that Seekvaria was wearing, though this one was a male version. His aura was powerful enough to make Raiser click his tongue in annoyance as he shrugged the blackette's hand off of his shoulder and jumped away from him, "Is the bird giving you trouble, Lady Seekvaria?" The man asked with a powerful voice.

"Yes Alivian, he is, but don't worry, he got the message now." Seekvaria said to her {Queen} without taking her eyes off of her work.

Raiser humphed in ire as he made his way towards his teleportation seal, but stopped when Seekvaria spoke, "If I were you Raiser, I'd be very careful with how you treat Rias, otherwise, your masculinity and pride will be shattered in the most brutal and humiliating way." The blond man just narrowed his eyes at that, he knew it was a warning of some sorts but he couldn't tell what could harm him, so he just stepped on his seal and disappeared from sight.

Seekvaria released a sigh as she muttered, "Poor Rias, it seems like her time has been cut short."

Alivian walked towards his {King} and commented, "I'm not one to speak about this sort of things, but we dragons have always found arranged marriages as a great form of insult towards oneself, and more so when one is forced into marriage with such… disgusting characters."

"Yeah, we may not be friends or anything the like, but being forced to marry Raiser is not something I wish for Rias, that man will not hesitate to rape her given the chance…" Seekvaria said with disgust before she smirked and added, "She may need my beloved's help for this one and knowing him, he's not going to get involved unless I ask him."

Alivian raised an eyebrow at that, saying, "Are you sure you're not using this as an excuse to visit Lord Derek, milady?"

Seekvaria actually blushed almost unnoticedly as she replied, "W-Well… _ahem_ … I will not deny that I miss my man dearly and ache to see him every moment…" She finished her work and as she walked towards the exit with Alivian in tow, added with a smirk, "But I also want to help Rias and the fact that this is the perfect chance to see Raiser bleed and cry under a real man's power, just makes it all the better."

* * *

"Ah, Asia…" A beautiful redheaded female said to the blonde in question who suddenly appeared with Koneko inside the ORC clubroom. Rias was currently in her desk looking over some of the requests her peerage has been receiving, "How did it go?" She asked with a kind smile as she looked at her adoptive sister, who has recently been promoted from pamphlet duty to take on contracts of her own. Though as a first, she was accompanied by the small white-haired girl.

Asia smiled a little timidly as she looked at her {King}, scanning the rest room as she saw Michael peacefully reading a book while enjoying some tea. Across the blond {Knight}, was Derek sitting on the couch with his eyes closed as he rested his feet on the small table in front of him while enjoying a shoulder massage supplied by Akeno, probably easing his sore muscles from his football practice. The blonde just pouted in jealousy before she replied, "W-Well… umm… i-it was… s-strange…"

Rias understood the ex-nun's jealousy because she herself was feeling it too, seeing her crush being pleasured by Akeno made the greedy girl pout cutely as well, but putting that aside for now, she asked confused, "Strange?"

It was the small cat-girl the one that answered when after sitting timidly next to the silverette Hamilton, answered, "We were called by another one of those anime freaks, he asked Asia to cosplay a character." Koneko then just grabbed one of her sweets and scooted a little closer to the silverette.

Rias looked at Koneko before she giggled along with Akeno, with the {Queen} saying as she continued her massage on the heir, "My, my, those horny teenagers seemed to be flooding Luxembourg lately."

"Yes, those are the kind of clients Koneko here gets the most…" Rias added with a giggle before she added a question to her two week old {Bishop}, "I hope it was nothing too uncomfortable for you, Asia?"

Asia made her way towards the couch where Michael was sitting quietly. She sat next to him and answered with a smile, "I-It was a little at first… but t-the guy w-was nice and r-respectful."

"He was still a perv though." Koneko added harshly as she continued enjoying her sweets.

Rias giggled again as she continued looking at the requests, stopping abruptly when she saw one that made her frown and sigh, action that did not went unnoticed by those present in the room, "Another 'Dark Contract' I presume?" Akeno asked as she finished her massage on the heir, much to her disappointment. The blackette curvy girl made her way towards her Master and eyed the request.

Derek heard those words and after opening his eyes, he looked at Rias and asked, "Dark Contract? What's that?" He was intrigued because he heard something similar from Seekvaria once, though he didn't paid much attention back then because they were engaged in sexual play.

Rias looked at the handsome heir and explained, "Yes, 'Dark Contracts' refer to requests that include sexual favours, demonic pacts, requests that requires one's soul as a price and lastly but not least, harming or even killing someone else."

Derek raised an eyebrow at that, asking, "And you don't take those kind of contracts?"

It was Akeno the one that answered when she spoke, "No, we don't have a Succubus or an Incubus to grant sexual favours… though…" The blackette looked at Derek lustfully and added while liking her lips, "You'd make a wonderful Incubus, dear."

Derek just chuckled at that, with Rias cleaning her throat to avert attention from such subjects and said, "As Akeno said…" She eyed her {Queen} harshly who just giggled, "We don't have those kind of devils and neither I nor any of my peerage desires to become one, so sexual favours are off the question…" Rias sipped some of her tea before she continued, "Demonic pacts can only be done by high-class devils and above, they're usually about bringing someone back from the death, gaining power from a higher demon or just to worship something, so while I can do those kind of things, I hold no desires to indulge such distasteful dealings."

The silverette nodded at that, he understood that Rias while still being a devil and being as greedy and sometimes as arrogant as the rest of her kind, she was still kind and good-natured, naïve and childish even, so such dealings were something she would understandably find distasteful, "I see… and what about the 'killing someone'?" He asked, a small glint of eagerness slipping into his voice.

Rias looked at him a little uneasy as she replied, "W-Well, they're literally that, a client asking for either someone's life or to physically harm someone else on their behalf, usually for a grudge or some wrongdoing."

"Though, there's a hefty price for such requests." Akeno then added.

Derek nodded as he deduced, "I would think that the price would be something like 'an eye for an eye' sort of thing, right?"

Rias nodded while she replied, "Indeed, if someone asks for somebody else's life, the price would be the client's life in return. Same would apply if say, you wanted someone to be harmed for a wrongdoing to you, anything I make to the person you targeted, will be returned to you."

Akeno went back to the heir and as she hugged him from behind, she continued, "There are some exceptions at that though, if the person you wish to kill or harm has done terrible deeds or has a spat against our kind, the price usually lowers, sometimes even disappears. The other way would also be to give your soul as payment, though, the client would become a ghoul under the service of the devil who made the contract."

 _'Mm… this sounds useful… it could help me vent my curse…'_ Derek thought as he enjoyed the body of Akeno. The silverette then turned to Rias and inquired, "And why do you receive such requests? Don't you have a filter or something like that?"

Rias nodded when she answered, "Yes we do, but since the previous holder of this territory did allowed this type of contracts, we still receive them from time to time."

Derek stood up, confusing those present, and once he walked towards Rias, he said, "Give me that contract, I'll take it."

The room went completely silent at his words, Rias was really shocked and somewhat frightened by the cold gaze of those blue eyes she has come to practically love, so stuttered, "D-Derek… t-that's… I…"

Derek grabbed the contract and explained, "Listen, I know there are many things you guys still don't know about me, one of those things is that I need to release some stress that builds up in me, so this kind of contracts sound like a good fit for me."

Rias stood up and ran to him, grabbing his hands as she tried to reason, "B-But!… you're not even a d-devil!"

"Doesn't matter, I've made contracts on Seek's behalf, though not of this kind, but still, as long as I get the client's signature under your name, it doesn't matter who delivers the request." The Hamilton heir countered dryly with a shrug.

Rias knew he was right but she still wanted to stop him, she didn't felt comfortable with this kind of things and even knowing that her crush was a cold person, she still wanted to think that he was not that heartless.

Akeno was on the same track as she added, "D-Derek!… y-you said that y-you work for humanity… t-this kind of c-contracts… they are t-too harm another human being!"

Derek agreed to that but countered back, "True and that is why before I go through with it, I will check on the facts first, if I see that the request comes from pitiful reasons, then I will decline, if it comes from scum, then I will take them down right there, and if it comes from someone who fell victim of a crime that went unpunished, then I will deliver justice…" The silverette then walked towards the far end of the room and added, "And this kind of contracts give devils a lot of prestige, prestige Rias could use in her bid to become a Rating Game champion." With that, he disappeared in a red flash.

Rias and her peerage just stayed there frozen, they could not believe that he was actually going through with this and while he was right with the prestige thing, Rias didn't wanted him to stain his hands for her sake, but alas, she could do naught but wait now, he will have a piece of her mind once he returns.

* * *

The rain was pouring down over a small town located some minutes away from Luxembourg's capital, Derek appeared above a building as he searched for his client. Even though Derek could not use the Gremory's transportation symbol, he utilised the pamphlet to track down the magic source and used it to pin down the exact location of his client. He decided to appear some metres away from the client since he needed to use a mask to cover his face, he was a highly known person and if someone were to recognize him doing this kind of things, it could get troublesome, "Don't want grandpa nagging me." He muttered as he grabbed a black balaclava with a white skull painted on the front of the mask, the mask he used to wear back when he was a part of Ghosts.

He looked at the mask and sighed melancholically before he put it on and was about to head to the client but stopped when his phone vibrated. He grabbed the gadget and saw that it was Rias, "What is it, Rias?" He answered.

 _"Sigh, Derek, you left without me explaining you how to know the right price."_ Rias answered, clearly angry at him right now.

Derek just scratched his scruff as he replied, "Yeah, I forgot about that, but I had the feeling you'll have that covered somehow."

Derek could feel the exasperation, worry and anger the redheaded heiress had right now when she sighed heavily before she replied, _"What am I going to do with you?... Yes, I have you covered, my familiar will get there soon and she will give you a small paper, what you have to do is to stick the paper in the client's chest and ask him or her to speak their name followed by the request, once the client finishes, the paper will make the price glow. To make it simpler, if the price is a hand, his hand will glow red, if the price is his life, his whole body will glow red…"_ As she said that, Rias' familiar appeared next to him, the small bat then turned into the girl that gave him the pamphlet back when he just arrived to the city and with a gentle smile, she gave him said paper and disappeared in a puff of smoke while waving him goodbye, _"Do not worry about harming or doing anything to the client yourself, the paper itself will charge the client, all you have to do is grab the paper once it's done and come back here to me, where I'm going to kick your sexy ass until tomorrow!"_ Rias then hanged up after losing her cool, making the silverette snicker because he was sure he was the only who could make her act like a school girl.

After the silver-haired Hamilton kept his phone in his pocket, he looked at the small paper that Rias' familiar gave him, it was rectangular in shape and it had strange symbols written on it. He then walked towards the edge of the roof and searched for the client's room and once he finally managed to pinpoint the source of Rias' magic which was stored in every pamphlet she gave, he focused on it and in seconds he appeared inside a living room, lighted slightly by a set of candles placed in a small table in front of a couch where a middle-aged man was sitting. Derek could see that the man was scared, probably wondering what does a devil looks like and obviously because he understood what his wish could cost, **"You called?"** Derek said with a modified voice, thanks to his excellent control over his own body, he was able to use his power to make his vocal cords vibrate faster than normal, making his voice sound more demonic.

The man yelped in fear and jumped out of his seat the moment Derek spoke. He was wearing a regular business suit, though the jacket was tossed aside, he had dark hair and was extremely pale, probably due to his fear. The man seemed to freak out a little when he saw Derek's mask but his fear did seemed to lower when he realized that Derek was not beast-like or demonic-like in appearance, so the man replied shakily, "Y-Yes… M-Mr Devil… _gulp_ … I… I c-called for you…"

Derek nodded and walked closer to the man, making the scared male flinch a little but before he could say anything, Derek spoke, **"I trust that you know the kind of… wish… that you have, comes for a hefty price."**

The man was still shivering heavily but nodded slightly as he replied, "Y-Yes… I… I u-understand… b-but I am p-prepared…"

 **"Very well…"** The British heir said before he suddenly stick the paper in the client's chest, startling him a little, **"Say your name and then speak your request, once you're done with it, I will ask for your reasons, after you've said it all, the paper will tell us the price."**

The man looked at the small paper that started to glow red, he gulped a little in fear but after closing his eyes for some moments in order to gather his courage, the man said, "M-My na-name is… L-Luca Gi-Gilles… and I… _gulp_ … I w-wish for you to… k-kill… my w-wife's mu-murderers."

Derek narrowed his eyes at that before he replied, **"Give me your reason."**

The man looked confused at that, prompting him to ask, "B-But I… I al-already told you…"

Derek nodded but explained, **"Yes, you want them dead for killing your wife, but what I mean is that you need to tell me what happened, because I need to know the truth to judge whether they've earned it or not. Who's to say your wife wasn't the first one to attack? Or something like that? I need the truth and know that that little paper will know if you're lying, so speak."**

The man gulped even harder at that, but after gathering some courage, he began, "M-My wife was ki-killed by a group of r-robbers… s-she… she w-was at home w-while I was in the laundry r-room down at t-the basement… the r-robbers thought t-that no one was h-home so they b-broke in… b-but they f-freaked out when t-they saw… my wi-wife… I c-could… hear the s-shots and… t-the robbers s-screaming… freaking out… t-they left and w-when I made my w-way back up…" The man cried as he looked at the floor and finished, "S-She was… d-dead…"

Derek then said, **"Did you saw how many they were?"**

The man shakily nodded at that and answered, "F-Five…" He then looked back at the masked man and added, "I k-know w-who they are t-too."

Derek tilted his head at that when he asked, **"Then why not go to the police?"**

The man chuckled darkly when he explained, "The le-leader of the gang i-is the son of t-the Chief, he's p-practically untouchable a-and unless he and h-his gang mess with a r-rich person or s-someone i-important, the Chief always covers him up…" After that, the paper in his chest started to hum and soon later, the man's left arm was glowing, "W-What is go-going on!?" The man asked as he had his eyes wide in fear.

 **"That is the price you'll have to pay, your left arm…"** The man looked at Derek and gulped before the Hamilton added, **"This is your last chance to back down, once I'm out of here, the paper will remain with you and when I get back, you will lose your arm, so think carefully."**

The man did seemed to ponder on that for some moments, but after a long gulp, he said, "I… I a-accept your te-terms… that b-bastard and his gang h-have been terrorizing our t-town for far too long n-now…" He then looked at his arm and added, "My arm… is a s-small price to p-pay if it h-helps us get rid of t-them."

Derek nodded and then said, **"Then tell me where this gang usually gathers."**

"They ha-have a garage o-outside the town… it's called 'R-Rooks'… j-just head no-north and once y-you're out the t-town, you s-should be able to s-see it." The man explained.

The Hamilton heir nodded and with that, he disappeared, already feeling excited for a fight, even if he knew it was going to be easy, he needed to vent his curse and he needed to do it now.

* * *

 _"Is the gauntlet ready, D?"_ Derek asked his partner as he made his way towards the garage where the gang gathers.

After the Hamilton spoke, a red gauntlet appeared in his right hand. It had a green emerald on the backhand of the gauntlet, sharp long claws and it covered all of Derek's lower arm, with four golden spikes at the end of the gauntlet. The green emerald then glowed as a voice spoke through it, **"Yes boy, I have gathered all of your curse's excess into the gauntlet, you know what to do."**

Derek just nodded and brought his attention back to his current mission. It took the silverette sometime but finally, he found the place he was looking for, a lone garage placed some metres away from the village, the place seemed a little rundown but the big sign was turned on as well as the lights inside the place, there were several bikes outside the place and the sound of people laughing could be heard coming from the building.

Derek then looked around the building until he found what he was looking for, the fuse box. He opened it and with his armoured hand, he grabbed the cables and ripped them out, cutting the electricity off of the whole place.

"Hey, what the hell!?" One of the people inside said as the other people present began asking the same thing.

Derek walked inside the place unnoticedly and looked at the people present, at least fifteen people were inside, nine males and six females. There was alcohol and food too, letting the heir know that they were having a party or a reunion.

The gang then all turned their phones' lamps on and after they looked around, cowered in fear when they saw a figure that was not present with them before. The figure was wearing black sneakers with marine blue pants, he had a dark grey shirt and a black leather jacket on top of it. The thing that scared them the most though, was the ominous looking black balaclava the figure was wearing, the skull painted on the balaclava was frightening enough on its own, but the strange green glow coming from the figure's eyes was something none of them will ever forget.

"W-Who… w-who a-re a-are you!?" One of the males said as he stumbled back a little, covering the girl behind him who was shaking in fear.

Derek just walked a little closer to them and said with his demonic voice, **"Your judge."** After those words, he brought his red gauntlet forward and from the green glowing emerald, a strange pitch black smoke started to emerge, covering the whole place in seconds.

The thugs were confused and scared at the strange man's actions, until they could not avoid inhaling the smoke, making them all kneel and cry out in pain, "Ah!… w-what… wh-what is t-this!?" One of the girls screamed as she grabbed her head desperately, trying to fight the pain that seemed to be spreading throughout her whole body.

 **"You're all too unintelligent to understand such matters…"** Derek responded before he walked towards the girl who spoke. He kneeled down and grabbed the girl by the chin and after bringing her head up gently to meet his eyes, he added to the horrified girl, **"But to put it simply, if your mind has been too corrupted by your own desires and misdeeds, this gas will kill you…"** The girl and the rest of the pained gang looked at Derek in fear and despair after hearing that. Derek then brought his mouth close to the girl's ear and whispered, **"So let's hope you've been a good girl."**

The Hamilton let the girl go and stood there as he watched the gang slowly dying. The sight was quite disturbing, the ones that he could tell were more corrupted were practically bashing their heads against the floor as if trying to get the gas out of them, the ones less corrupted were just crying as they tried to withstand the pain of getting their minds eaten by Derek's curse.

It took about five more minutes until the room finally went quiet, making Derek look around to see that eleven of the fifteen people previously there, had died due to the curse. Derek then turned to look at the survivors, two girls and two boys, they seemed to be the youngest of the gang and the girl that asked him what was happening also survived, **"Seems like you have been a good girl…"** Derek said as he walked towards the broken girl, who could only look at Derek with eyes full of fear, **"Now, who among all of those pests was the leader of this group?"** Derek asked the survivors.

The four teens just looked at the bodies of their late friends and after locking their eyes on one particular man, a boy stuttered while pointing at the body, "H-Him."

The Hamilton heir looked at the one they pointed at and after walking towards the body, he said, **"Is he the son of the Police Chief?…"** The four nodded their heads at that, prompting Derek to ask, **"His home, where is it?"**

The girl stood up shakily and went towards a wall where a map of the town was placed, she then walked slowly and affrightedly towards the masked man and after she held the map up, she stuttered, "R-Right… he-he-here… s-sir." She pointed with her shivering finger a location that Derek marked in his mind.

Derek looked at the girl and released a little bit of his aura, pushing the girl back and making her fall on her butt. The four teenagers looked at Derek with eyes full of tears and fear, probably thinking that he was going to kill them, so Derek said, **"I hope that now you kids understand the gravity that your misdeeds can cause…"** Derek grabbed the body of the gang's leader and held him up by his hair, he then out of nowhere slashed the dead thug's neck and decapitated him right in front of the teens, who could only cry out in fear and shock after witnessing such brutality, **"So behave…"** Derek walked towards the teens who couldn't move due to their fear and could only eye the masked man as he walked past them, leaving some parting words, **"Or I shall come back."** Derek then once again released his oppressive aura on the teens, making them fall into the arms of unconsciousness.

The silverette then made his way towards the house of the bodiless head he was carrying. It took him some minutes but he soon arrived towards a big house, "Seems like the Chief lives quite comfortably." He said as he eyed the almost mansion the Police Chief possessed, a house that greatly contrasted with the rest of the town, letting Derek know of the Chief's corruption.

As Derek made his way inside the house, he used his nose to pinpoint the location of his target and any person that may stand in his way, he was able to find the Chief's scent easily since he smelled like his dead son, so the heir headed towards the room where he could smell his scent.

Derek walked inside the room unnoticedly, he saw the Chief in question sleeping peacefully beside his wife. Knowing that the woman could be troublesome, he made his way towards her and placed two fingers on her forehead, releasing some of his aura in her, knocking her out completely.

The silverette then walked towards the other side of the bed where the Chief was sleeping and once there, he placed his hand on the Chiefs mouth and nose, forcing the Chief to open his eyes abruptly. The Chief practically shat himself when he saw a masked man looking straight at him with glowing green demonic looking eyes, he wanted to get up but couldn't, forcing him to realise that he was at the complete mercy of this ominous man.

 **"You have abused your authority, Chief…"** Derek said with his demonic voice as he closed his face on the Chief's, **"Many people have suffered for your greed. I am the people's avenger, I am their pain, I am their despair, I am their anger towards you…"** Derek then tightened his grip on the Chief's face, making him groan in pain as he struggled against the godly grip the masked man had on him, but to no avail, **"You will return everything you took from the townsfolk to the townsfolk, you will resign and you will leave this place and never come back…"** Derek brought his mouth to the Chief's ear and finished, **"If you don't heed my word, I will come back and this time, your son will not be the only one I take."**

The Chief widened his eyes in fear as he heard that before a red flash burned his eyes along with a tremble that shook the room. It took the Chief some moments to recuperate from the flash, but once he did, he realised that the masked man was gone.

The Chief then immediately turned on his table lamp and looked around the room to see his wife unconscious. He then started to feel his waist dampening so turned to look at it and felt his stomach trembling in shock at what he saw, "A-Ah… W-W-W-AH!…" He released an inhuman scream when he realized that the dampness was blood, blood coming off from his son's decapitated head placed on his lap looking at him with those horrifying hollow eyes.

* * *

 **"It's done."** Derek said as he appeared inside his client's house.

The client in question jumped in fear after he heard the masked devil speaking, but he managed to gather some courage and after gulping loudly, he stuttered, "T-T-Thank yo-you… M-M-Mr De-Devil."

The Hamilton heir nodded slightly and walked towards the man, who shivered harder as he could start to feel the ominous pressure coming off from the masked man. Derek just kept walking until he was right in front of him and after he placed two fingers in the paper stuck in the client's chest, he asked, **"Are you ready to pay?"**

The client just looked at the devil a little before he grabbed his left arm, closing his eyes for some moments before he took couple of deep breaths and said, "Y-Y-Yes."

Derek then poured some of his aura into the paper and it started to glow for some moments before the client grunted in pain and then fell unconscious. Derek saw how a black liquid started to spill from the paper and it covered his left arm completely, where it began to consume the arm without spilling any blood.

The black liquid then went back to the paper once it finished consuming the man's arm. Derek just grabbed it and kept it in his pocket before he closed his eyes and focused on the ORC's clubroom and once he found it in his mind, he disappeared in a red flash.

* * *

Rias was alone in her club's room, it was already late but she could not sleep, she was too worried about the silverette and angry as well. She knows that those kind of contracts were something she could not avoid forever, as it is part of what Devils do, but she was not comfortable with leaving them to the man she likes, but apparently, she has no say in that whatsoever.

Her attention was suddenly won by a red flash that soon after revealed a masked Derek, making the heiress shiver in fear as she looked at her crush. It was in this kind of moments that she remembered that he was not an innocent and good guy, he was a hardened soldier. She didn't know much of his soldier days, he has told her some of his life but nothing too serious, but she could tell that the silverette has killed before, a lot.

Derek took his mask off and was about to say something but was interrupted when Rias suddenly stood up and ran to him to deliver a slap. He saw it coming, but he allowed her to vent on him a little, he knows that he did something against her will but he needed to get rid of his curse's excess before it consumes him.

"W-Why did y-you do that!?" Rias screamed as she got a little teary, she was feeling weak and frustrated and it was getting hard for her to hold her tears back, she didn't wanted to see the man she likes doing such dark things but she managed to hold it, she needed to be strong in front of him.

Derek just sighed tiredly at that, walking towards the couch to sit on it, gesturing Rias to sit by his side. He then replied once she placed her butt on the soft surface, "I know that you're mad at me and I don't blame you, this kind of things is not something you want to see anyone doing…" Derek looked at her directly to her eyes and continued, "But you need to know something about me. In time, you will learn what I truly am, but for now you need to know that I have something like a curse."

Rias tilted her head at that, making her confusion known. She then licked her lips and asked, "C-Curse?"

"Yes…" Derek answered as he laid back on the couch before he continued, "Let's call it a 'Corruption Curse'… you already know that I am not a normal human, I'm way too strong to be one…" Rias nodded at that, she and her peerage had long ago figured out that he was something else, but not interrupting, she listened as Derek continued, "This strength I've got, does not comes for free, there is a price I must pay every day."

Rias widened her eyes at that, getting really worried for the handsome man, asking, "W-What do you ha-have to pay?"

"Well, is not really what I have to give, but what I have to do…" Derek said as he brought his eyes back to her and continued, "Think of the curse as a living representation of your evil-self, your dark desires…" Rias was slightly agape at that but she seemed to understand what he was saying, so he kept going, "Every living creature has that 'curse', we all feel dark emotions from time to time, however, the curse is always in a sleeping state, is not alive, is just a part of you…" Derek then looked at his hand and as he balled it, added, "My case is different, because of my power, my own darkness gained free will, a conscious, and as such is always fighting me for control."

Rias gasped at that once she understood what he meant, she knows that every living creature possess a dark side but it is as Derek said, most of the living creatures, including her, have said dark side as just another part of themselves, but now she understands that in Derek's case, his darkness has come alive, so as any living creature would, it's fighting for its survival, "S-So… is li-like… a-another you… t-trying to t-take over the cu-current you?" She whispered a question.

Derek nodded while he responded, "Yes, my 'other self' feeds off of my own contained dark desires and I have many, my lust, my hate, my anger, my pride, it feeds off of all of those things…" Derek then grabbed the paper containing the client's severed arm and added, "So over time, the curse gets really strong if I go inactive for a long period of time, the reason for why I went on with this dark contract is exactly because of that, I needed to vent my contained dark desires, the curse was starting to get too troublesome to suppress."

Rias grabbed the paper and looked at it for some seconds, bringing her blue eyes to his later as she asked, "H-How do you… v-vent it?"

"By indulging in such desires…" Derek replied as he looked at the floor and continued, "You know, having sex, killing, scaring, threatening, showing off, keeping my place at the top, those kind of things."

Rias just nodded at that and looked at the floor, wishing that the silverette didn't had to do all that, but there was nothing she could do, "I… see…" She muttered.

Derek then stood up and turned to look at Rias to say, "Well, with that said, I will be taking on these sort of contracts from now on, tell Sona that I'm willing to do it for her to, explain her everything I told you, you will be helping me a lot with this…" Rias just nodded at that. Derek then turned towards the club's door and bid goodbye, "Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Rias."

Rias stopped him though, when she suddenly grabbed his arm and said with a huge blush on her cheeks, "W-Wait!… umm… I-I…"

Derek tilted his head at the redhead's strange shyness and asked, "What?"

Rias breathed in and brought her face up to respond, "I k-know this w-will sound strange but… umm… I… I w-was wondering i-if… I c-could… sl-sleep… w-with… y-you… to-tonight?…"

Derek raised an eyebrow at that, saying, "You want to have sex with me?"

Rias immediately went as red as her hair and sputtered, "N-NO!… n-not yet!… Ah!… I m-mean… I'm n-n-not re-ready!… no t-that's… not… argh… I…"

Derek actually snickered at seeing the proud devil heiress turning into a complete mess, but wanting to go back home already, he said, "Okay, I get it, you just want to sleep, but why with me?"

Rias breathed in a couple of times in order to calm herself down. It took her some moments but finally after she regained her composure, she explained, "I… I j-just want to… co-comfort you…"

Derek tilted his head again at that, stating dryly, "I don't need comfort."

Rias growled in frustration before she screamed like a bratty school girl, "But I do!" She covered her mouth and gasped after she realised her outburst.

Derek just chuckled slightly as he replied, "Alright then, I don't mind having your body next to mine…" Rias blushed harshly at that but smiled a little, a smile that fell when Derek added, "Though, you need to know that Tsubasa sleeps with me as well, so if you have a problem with that then go back to your home, if you don't then let's go, I'm tired and I want to sleep already."

Rias pouted in jealousy at that, she knew that her crush was in a relationship with her best friend's {Rook}. Though for what she has heard from Sona, it appears that Derek has also a relationship with Seekvaria, confusing the Gremory heiress as to what the silverette was doing with the girls. But for now, she stowed her suspicions and settled for nodding at the silverette, blushing when he grabbed her by the waist and brought her close to his body, disappearing in a red flash moments later.

* * *

"Mm… Derek…" A redheaded beauty mumbled in her sleep as she cooed closer to the body next to her, she was completely naked and could not help but enjoy the warmth the silverette was providing her, "Hold… me…" She added as she squeezed the handsome heir's soft chest, _'What!?…'_ Rias thought confused as she started groping the chest, a thing she should not be able to do since Derek was a man, not a girl.

" _Ahem_ …" A feminine voice then made Rias open her eyes abruptly to see none other than Tsubasa looking at her with mirth as she said, "Not the I d-don't feel… _ah_ … good with your touch…" The bluenette moaned a little before she added, "But I'm not Derek, Rias."

Said Gremory heiress jumped with a squeal as she realised that she had been groping Tsubasa, the scare was enough to send Rias to the ground where she landed with her butt, "Aw!…" The redhead complained while massaging her sore bottom and once she remembered what just happened, she grabbed the bed sheets to cover herself and stuttered out, "T-Tsubasa!… I… u-umm… I-I'm so-sorry… I d-didn't… umm…"

Tsubasa just laughed at Rias while she stood up from the bed, naked as well. She stretched her body a little and walked towards her clothes, saying while putting them on, "Don't worry Rias, we're friends so I don't mind." She gave the heiress a warm smile.

Rias stood up and while tilting her head, asked, "N-Not even m-me… you know… s-sleeping here wi-with… Derek?" She was confused as to why Tsubasa seemed so calm about the situation because if this happened to Rias, she was sure she would be highly irritated by it.

Tsubasa just chuckled as she answered, "Not really, I already know how Derek is and what I got myself into." She sat on the bed again.

Rias sat next to her and questioned, "I… I a-actually wanted to a-ask you that…" She didn't know whether to say it or not because she could destroy Derek and Tsubasa's relationship, but she really wanted to know so kept going, "Y-You do know that D-Derek… umm…" She found herself not able to continue.

"Has another girl?…" Tsubasa finished for Rias, making the redhead widen her eyes while nodding slightly, obviously surprised at that, "Yes Rias, I know all about it…" Tsubasa said after she giggled at Rias' expression. The bluenette then added, "He actually has two girls beside me, probably more actually." She thought of the two Fallen Angels working for him, she found out about them when she saw them in the house. She immediately went on guard at first but was confused when the two females did not moved, that was when Derek walked down the stairs and explained it all to her. She was mad at first because they did killed Asia but after spending some time with the Fallen girls and seeing that they genuinely regretted their actions she got along well with them, but Rias doesn't need to know that right now.

Rias was shocked at that, sure, she was used to hearing about Harems, they were quite common amongst devils, especially when it comes to noble clans as both female and male members use Harems to bolster their legacy. But in the human world Harems are not that common beyond the middle east, so it was strange for her to hear that, "B-But… then… w-why…" She tried to find Tsubasa's reason.

Tsubasa tilted her head as she spoke, "Why am I with him?…" Rias nodded at that, prompting Tsubasa to say, "Well because I like him, a lot, I could even say that I'm already falling hard for him, so even if he has more girls and he is not going to stop any girl that approaches him, I want to be with him."

Rias was really confused at that, she did not understand why a woman would be so willing to share, hence why she asked, "B-But how can y-you be so calm with the idea? D-Don't you think it's a l-little narcissistic of h-him?"

Tsubasa looked at the front and nodded as she answered, "True, at first that was exactly what I thought, that he was just an asshole who only wanted to sleep around…" The bluenette then looked back at Rias and continued, "But then I called Seekvaria, I wanted to tell her that Derek was making moves on other girls, Sona told me about her and her relationship with Derek so I kinda felt cheated…" Tsubasa then chuckled before she added, "But imagine my surprise when Seekvaria just laughed, I was confused until she explained a lot of things to me, things about Derek that I didn't know and once I heard them, I actually understood why he is the way he is."

Rias was even more confused, so she inquired further, "What do you mean?"

The bluenette {Rook} sighed before she explained, "Well, overall, Derek is an asshole, he doesn't really care about anyone or anything, though, that's what he says, in reality he does cares about people but he's afraid, afraid of attachments, so he refuses to acknowledge said attachments."

"Why?" Rias muttered.

"Because of what happened to his parents…" Tsubasa said with a little sombre tone at that. She then brought her eyes back to Rias and continued, "Ever since they died, Derek has tried to keep everyone away. When he started having sex with girls, he made sure to be as big as an asshole as he could so that the girls would come to resent him and leave, it worked for him for a while until he slept with Seekvaria… their story is not mine to tell so you have to ask her that when you see her…" Tsubasa said when she saw Rias' curiosity for Derek and Seekvaria's story, making the redhead pout cutely before she nodded in understanding, "When Seekvaria became his sexual partner, she wanted more, but he got scared because he started getting attached to her, so he cheated on her, a lot…" She sighed before she continued, "But Seekvaria has known him ever since they were kids, so she knows everything about him, including why he does the things he does, so it didn't worked on her. He eventually just gave up and allowed the attachment to form but another girl came into his life, I don't know her, but she fell in love with him as well and once again Derek tried to do the same, but the same thing happened, the other girl did not relented, thanks to Seekvaria actually, and he eventually gave up as well."

Rias was dumbfounded, she was feeling really guilty for thinking badly of Derek without truly knowing the whole facts, but hearing that explanation, she started to understand a little bit more about him and why he is the way he is. She knows that Tsubasa is not going to tell her everything because it's not Tsubasa's story to tell, but she still was a little confused, so asked, "But why does he keeps sleeping around then?"

Tsubasa shook her head at that, saying, "He doesn't, that is a misconception actually."

Rias was confused again at those words, so mumbled dumbly, "Huh?"

The bluenette Sitri member chuckled before she explained, "Derek is not the one that looks for sex, the women are the ones that do, he's just someone that says yes most of the time because that's who he is, he likes sex. The thing is though, Derek stopped sleeping around after he allowed Seekvaria to call herself his girlfriend, from there on, he has only slept with the women he genuinely likes."

Rias nodded at that, it did made sense since she has never seen Derek flirt with anyone, it's always the other way around, she has even heard from her classmates that almost all the campus' females have tried to throw themselves at him but he just keeps refusing them. Some rumours that he was gay started to spread through the Academy but they disappeared when Tsubasa was starting to be seen with him, but even then, girls have not and will not stop looking for his touch.

Tsubasa then continued, "And about the 'Harem' thing… hehe… he's just incapable of breaking an attachment, once you're through his walls, he will not leave you behind…" Tsubasa looked at Rias and with eyes full of love, said, "He's cold, uncaring, an asshole most of the time and sucks when it comes to romance, but when it comes to what truly matters, I mean his loyalty, how he makes love to you, how he's always looking over you, how he is willing to wage a war for you, he's the best one there is, that's why if you want to be with him as well, you must first understand that he hates jealousy, he's not going to stand someone that gets possessive, that's why he warns you before you start a 'relationship' with him, he wouldn't even care if you get yourself another partner…" She developed and understanding visage as she finished her words, "It is hard, I had a hard time at first, that is until a learnt everything about him and I understood, so if you're not willing to let go of your possessiveness and jealousy for the sake of being with him, then look the other way, because he will immediately break things up with you if you start getting jealous."

Tsubasa then stood up and walked out of the room, knowing that Rias was already lost in her own world thinking over everything she just learned. She's been through the same so she knows that the redheaded heiress needed her space, so Tsubasa went to the kitchen in order to make some food for her, Rias and Derek who was out on his morning run.

* * *

"Sir!" A group of people greeted their commander in unison. They were inside a room that seemed to be a command centre, with many computers placed in special desks built so that the people could observe and work, everything was transmitted to a wall-sized screen at the far side of the room.

"At ease." Jonathan Hamilton said with his powerful voice.

The patriarch was then approached by a female wearing a military uniform similar to those the other people in the room were wearing, though hers, was black with blue ornaments, instead of the regular white and red. The beautiful girl seemed to be in her late thirties and was also wearing a military cap, a small flag of the UK etched on her uniform's right shoulder area, "Sir!" The female saluted her superior.

Jonathan nodded slightly in greeting as he said, "Commander Jones, what is it that you needed to tell me?" He then walked towards the front of the room, knowing that whatever he was called for, will be displayed on the large screen.

The now identified Commander Jones walked behind the UK's military highest ranking officer and once they stopped in front of the screen, she looked back at one of the officers and nodded at him, prompting him to send an image to the large screen, "This is what we wanted you to see, sir." Jones said as she looked at the image.

Jonathan narrowed his eyes at what he was seeing, the image showed a familiar location where there seems to be a group of people trading arms, "Is that Pripyat?" The Hamilton patriarch asked once he recognized the affected zone by the Chernobyl Power Plant disaster.

The Commander in question nodded at her superior as she responded, "Yes sir, this photo was taken by our satellite some hours ago, it is likely that whatever deal was happening there, is already done."

Jonathan massaged his chin as he mumbled, "Could it be?…" The patriarch then gestured the officer to continue showing him the images and once he saw them all, he asked, "Do we know who led this exchange?"

Jones nodded at the officer again and after getting a nod in understanding, the officer sent an image to the large screen. The image showed a white male with short black hair, he was wearing a thick coat but the thing that got Jonathan's attention the most, was the ring in his right hand, "Officer, zoom on that ring."

The officer did as told and after he zoomed in on the image, the Commander asked, "Does the ring has any significance, sir?"

Jonathan looked intently at the ring, which seemed to be made of gold but had a white emerald embedded on it. The image was not clear at all since the picture was taken from a far distance, but Jonathan could recognize the ring very well, "It seems they have started making their moves."

The female soldier tilted her head in confusion as she asked, "They?"

"The information is quite sensible, so I cannot tell you here…" Jonathan said to his subordinate before he added, "But you will be briefed once Derek comes."

The female Commander widened her eyes at that along with the rest of the room, they all know that if the most powerful human in the world was going to be called for this, then it has to be serious, "Officer, get me agent GhostTwo on the screen right now." Jonathan then said to the young male.

The room fell silent at that but the officer quickly did as told and began calling the agent in question. It took some moments, but after a blip on the screen, a black-haired male appeared in the image. The male was quite handsome, he had green eyes and white skin, he seemed to be quite young, younger than Derek even, but even from a simple image of him anyone could tell that messing with him would be your last mistake, " _Jonathan?_ " The young lad greeted.

Jonathan nodded in greeting as he said, "Aleister, how goes your mission?"

The now identified Aleister scratched his scruff sheepishly as he replied with a laidback tone, " _Hehe… yeah… umm… unsuccessful…_ "

Jonathan sighed tiredly before he asked, "I take it that you've lost Murillo's trail then?"

Aleister just chuckled when he answered unashamedly, " _Yup…_ " The blackette then whined as he added, " _Hey! It's not my fault he came here to South Korea! You know, the Promised Land for technology maniacs like me! I got distracted!"_

Jonathan just massaged his temples before he claimed irately, "It matters not anymore…" He looked at Aleister and was glad to see that the laidback boy understood the serious tone he was using, so the patriarch said, "Our friends from Novum have begun their moves."

Aleister turned his demeanour completely at those words, surprising the people present in the room as he is known to be quite easy going, " _I see…_ " The blackette looked around for a bit and added, " _You want me back?…_ " Jonathan nodded at that, so Aleister finished, " _Want me to bring the Boss?_ "

"Yes, you already know where he is, right?" Jonathan asked the youngster.

" _Yeah, he called me some days ago, I know where he's at…_ " Aleister then smirked and said, " _Alright then, it's about time that I return to guard him, the Boss needs someone to have his back, I'll see ya soon, GhostTwo out._ " With that, the communication with the young man finished.

"If you're calling the two surviving Ghosts here, it means this is serious…" Jones said as she looked at the screen before she brought her eyes to her leader and asked, "May I ask how serious this is, sir?"

Jonathan stayed quiet for a while, but he looked at the female and said later, "World War potential serious."

Everyone in the room froze at that, it has been a little over seventy years since the last World War and back then, the aftermath was devastating, so the thought of a new one with all the new capabilities and technologies humanity has achieved breaking out was the most frightening thing they could dream of.

Jonathan just sighed and said, "I want you to find me everything on that guy…" He pointed at the man with the ring, "I want his identity known by the time that Derek and Aleister gets here."

"Yes sir!" The room chorused together and immediately got to work.

"Sir…" Commander Jones then brought the patriarch's attention back to her. She got a nod in return so she said, "There is something else you must see."

Jonathan narrowed his eyes at that, he could tell that it was not related to the previous subject but sensing the uneasiness coming from the whole room, he knew that it could not be anything good.

* * *

" _Sigh_ …" A tired sigh was heard coming off from the mouth of a beautiful redheaded female. Rias was currently looking over her peerage's contracts but her mind was not really on her task at hand, she could not stop thinking about what Tsubasa told her this morning, _'As if I have time to think about that… I have to deal with Raiser first before I deal with my feelings for Derek…'_ She thought bitterly, she knows that she was falling for the silverette, despite all his flaws, he is a reliable man and the only one capable of making her feel safe.

"My, my, aren't you in Wonderland, President?" The voice of Akeno then said, making Rias turn her attention to her best friend who was sitting on the couch while reading, all the while wearing a mirthful smirk.

Rias just sighed at that and answered, "Yeah… I… I had a talk with Tsubasa this morning…"

Akeno turned to look at Rias with an eyebrow raised, she understood the situation now but decided to keep it quiet, knowing that Rias did not wanted to talk about such things with Michael, Koneko and Asia present in the room, "Well, I'm here for you." The blackette then said with a gentle smile.

Rias smiled a little and said, "Yes, I know…" She then massaged her temples and after locking her eyes to Asia, she said, "Now, Asia?"

The blonde in question turned to look shyly at her master as she replied, "Y-Yes P-President?"

Rias smiled at the gentle girl while thinking, _'Sigh, I need to do something about her meekness, it could be dangerous for her later on…'_ The redheaded heiress then said, "You have already got some contracts now, so I think is time for us to get you a Familiar."

The ex-nun tilted her head when she questioned, "F-Familiar?"

"Familiars are creatures with whom we sign a contract, they are magically bound to you and pledge their loyalty to you, either as their ally or as their master." Akeno explained.

Rias then brought her hand forward and after a puff of smoke, a small fat bat appeared floating above its master's palm, "This is my familiar, Kavita." The small bat chirped in greeting.

Koneko, who was sitting next to Asia, then said, "This is mine…" After a puff, a small white cat appeared on her lap, "Her name is Shiro."

A yellow bird then appeared on Michael's shoulder, prompting him to say, "This is my familiar, her name is Speedy."

Akeno then did the same and after a puff of smoke, a small imp appeared on her hand, "This is mine, he's called Chup, though, he's the strongest of my Familiars, I have more like him." She explained as she petted the small creature with her finger.

Asia tilted her head at that, asking, "More? Y-You can have m-more than one?"

Rias nodded and explained, "Yes you can, there's no limit at how many familiars you can have, the problem is that not all of them are friendly, some require you to beat them in a fight, some will accept if they like you, it all depends on the creature…" Asia nodded in understanding. Rias was about to say something else but stopped when a knock on the door interrupted her, "Come on in." The Gremory heiress spoke.

The door opened to reveal Sona Sitri along with her peerage in tow, they all walked inside the room and after they greeted everyone in the ORC, Sona inquired, "Why are your familiars out?"

"I wanted to take Asia to get hers since today's night has a full Moon, we got them out to show Asia what they are." Rias explained as her bat flew around her.

Sona frowned at that, stating, "That's troublesome, I was hoping to get Saji's and Ruruko's today."

Rias frowned as well while saying, "That is troublesome, the Familiars Master only accepts one peerage per night."

The two {Kings} then stared at each other competitively, "Seems like we must find a way to settle this." Sona claimed with eyes narrowed.

"Indeed." Rias said with a strong challenging voice.

"What's with the staring contest?" A sudden new voice then brought everyone's attention back to the clubroom's door, where the one and only Derek Hamilton was standing as he leaned coolly against the door frame, making the girls present blush at his unbearable bad boy good looks.

"D-Derek!… I t-thought you were going to be t-training…" Rias said as she fought her blush down, action mimicked by all the girls minus Tsubasa and Akeno, the former because she was his girlfriend so it didn't mattered, and the later because she has no shame.

Derek snorted angrily and said as he walked towards the couch, "I was, but the medical staff gave me rest…" He then let his body fall on the couch and added with displeasure, "I don't need fucking rest, the Coach is going to leave me in the bench for the next game, 'you've been playing all the games of the session without a break' he says, fucking hell."

The devils present in the room chuckled at the boy's misfortune, they all know how serious and passionate the Hamilton heir was when it comes to football, so they could imagine how angry he was, "Come on dear, it's just one game." Tsubasa said to her boyfriend as she walked towards him and massaged his shoulders, making the girls around jealous of her.

"Hn…" Was all Derek said before he looked around the strange creatures in the room, "You were doing something with your familiars or what?"

Some days ago, the devils in the room would've definitely widen their eyes at hearing the silverette saying those words, but they already know that he has almost perfect knowledge of their world, so Rias just said, "We were just showing them to Asia since I wanted to take her to the Familiars Forest in the Underworld."

Derek nodded as he questioned, "Wanted?"

Sona was the one that explained when she responded, "Well, I wanted to do the same with Saji and Ruruko, but the Familiars Master only accepts one peerage per night, so only one of us can go."

"That's no problem, Zatōji owes me one, I'll just go with you and he'll accept helping you both." Derek said as he shrugged his shoulders.

Everyone was surprised at that though, they weren't surprised by him knowing about familiars but him knowing the Familiar Master himself was another thing, "Y-You… kn-know the Fa-Familiars M-Master!?" Rias stuttered her question.

The Brit nodded and explained, "Yeah, I accompanied Seek when she went to get Issei's familiar, her newest servant, I met the weirdo there…" Derek then grabbed a bottle of water from his bag and after sipping it, he added, "Long story short, a little incident revolving a slime that got the girls naked occurred, in order for me not to kill him for ogling, he promised me two favours, one I already asked him and I also want to go to see if he finally got it, but the other one is free, so we're cool."

The devils just stared at him blankly for some moments until they all just sighed in defeat, the silverette is a complete enigma that doesn't stop to surprise them, so all they could do was just accept it and go with the flow, "A-Alright then…" Rias then said as she stood up and walked towards Derek to add, "Then let's go, shall we?"

Derek nodded along with the rest, but Sona was confused about something so questioned, "H-Hold on, how are we taking Derek with us? Neither my teleportation circle nor yours Rias will work on him."

Derek just waved the girl and said, "Don't worry about it, I don't need your lame magic, I'll see you lads there." He then disappeared in a red flash, confusing them all the more.

Sona was about to say something but Rias spoke, " _Sigh_ , Let's just go Sona, he's irritated and he tends to be an even bigger asshole whenever he's like that."

Sona just nodded and with that, her {Queen} transported them to the Familiars Forest while Akeno transported Rias' group.

* * *

As both the Gremory group and the Sitri group appeared in the Familiars Forest located in the Underworld, they saw Derek Hamilton leaning against a tree with his back turned to them as he said, "Good, you're here, now let's go."

The two groups just followed him, knowing that the Familiars Master will appear on his own, a thing that took some moments to happen, "Heyo heyo heyo!…" An eccentric voice was heard saying as they all turned to see a middle-aged man dressed like a teenager while balancing himself on a tree branch, "Huh!? Two groups!? Wha…" The man was saying before he finally saw a familiar face, prompting him to trip over the branch and fall to the ground, landing straight on his face, "AW!…" The man complained before he stood up and as if nothing happened, he said with a wide smile, "Derek! My friend who's not willing to call me his friend! What are you doing here with these devils!?"

Derek just grunted before he replied, "I wanted to see if you have my request, they were coming here to get familiars for their new members so I came along."

Zatōji looked at the devils and said, "Hey! Hey! Hey! I don't do two at a time, you know!?"

Derek suddenly slammed him against a tree and while holding him by the neck, he said with a cold tone, "You are going to, this once, you owe me another favour, this is it."

The man chuckled nervously before he complained as Derek let him go, allowing the extravagant man to fall butt first against the ground, "Alright, alright!… S-Satan… you don't have to be so rough…" Zatōji complained before he stood up again and said, "Alright, I'll do it."

Rias and Sona smiled at that but Derek then asked, "Good, now, is it done?"

The devils were confused at that but Zatōji wasn't, "Y-Yeah! Though, I don't think is a good idea, but I won't stop you…" The man then pointed towards a mountain a good distance away from them and said, "The mountain over there, there is a small lake behind it, she lives in a cave at the bottom of the mountain facing the lake, you're lucky because she's there right now."

Derek nodded and then said to the two confused groups of devils, "Good, then I'll see you guys later."

Tsubasa ran to him and as she grabbed his arm, she questioned, "W-Wait! Derek, w-where are you going!?"

Derek looked back at the bluenette and responded, "There's a favour I must do to a friend, it won't take long so don't worry."

Tsubasa just sighed, she understood that he was not going to say anything else, so she just kissed his lips and said, "Alright, just be careful."

Derek nodded and with that, he disappeared.

"Who's 'she'?" Rias asked once the silverette disappeared, she was as worried as Tsubasa but didn't said anything since she wasn't as close to him as the bluenette {Rook}, but hearing something about a 'she' confused her.

The Familiars Master laughed loudly and replied, "Wouldn't you like to know!?…" He then paled when he saw the deadly stares sent at him by all the females present, so he added while scratching his scruff, "Hehe… l-listen… I c-can't say anything because if I d-do… I'll have to f-face Derek's wrath!… and I m-much rather face the wrath of you devils than his… so y-you'll have to wait until he tells you!"

Rias and the rest just narrowed their eyes at the sweating man before they relented, they know he's right, the silverette was incredibly secretive, he was a soldier in the end so it was obvious that he would keep a lot of things to himself. So stowing her irritation for being kept out of whatever her crush was doing, Rias said, "Well, anyway, Zatōji, can you help us with our familiars?"

The man smiled widely at them as he responded, "Sure! I am Zatōji, the master of familiars! If you've come to find familiars galore, you've come in the right time that's for sure!…" The man then did a strange pose and added, "The Moon it's out to help you decide and I'll be the one to act as your guide! Now, how can I help you!? Tell me all your wants and desires! A strong one? A fast one? One that likes to set fires!?"

They all sweat dropped at the man's weirdness, but Rias turned to look at Asia to request, "Now Asia, explain Zatōji what kind of familiar you want."

Sona turned to her two newest members and added, "You too Saji and Ruruko, tell Zatōji what you wish."

Asia fidgeted her fingers and said timidly, "I-I'm… I…I w-would like a cute one… pl-please…"

Ruruko then said, "M-Me too!"

Saji then added excitedly, "Nah man! I want a strong one!"

Zatōji nodded repeatedly as he hummed in yes before he said, "Alright, alright!…" He then pointed towards a direction and claimed, "The blond guy's request is easier to find, so let's go get his first!"

The Sitri and the Gremory group nodded at that and began to follow the strange Familiars Master, none of them able to keep their mind off of the Hamilton heir and what could he be doing right now.

* * *

 _"Now, care to tell me why you want me to find her?"_ Derek asked his partner as he flew towards the mountain, he had to distance himself from the devils first so that they wouldn't be able to see him using his dragon wings, he wasn't ready to reveal himself just yet.

 ** _"Hmm, isn't it obvious?…"_** Ddraig replied as he remembered how he asked Derek to search for an old acquaintance of his, he was surprised to see that she has decided to live here in the Familiars Forest, but at least she was somewhat easy to find, **_"You wanted to receive dragon training and while I can train your mind like we've been doing so far, I cannot give you the physical training you require."_**

Derek just hummed in understanding, he indeed wanted to be trained in the way that dragon's fight, it was the only thing left for him to take his body and power to the next level, he had a big goal in mind and he required to surpass godhood to achieve it, the problem was that he didn't really had much time left, so he needed to be quick.

After some moments of flight, Derek finally arrived at the lake that Zatōji told him about. The silverette landed and as he looked around, he muttered, "I have a bad feeling about this." He didn't know why he was feeling a strange chill running down his spine.

 ** _"Oh shit…"_** Ddraig then said alarmed once he remembered something, **_"Boy! I forgot to tell you something about her!"_**

Derek was confused and was about to say something but a sudden burst of an incredible aura hit the lake, creating waves of water heading straight at him. Derek just jumped and floated in the sky as he watched the origin of the aura, which was coming from the cave where his objective was supposed to live, "DDRAIG!" A sudden feminine scream was then heard coming from inside, the way the female said the silverette's partner name was filled with both hate and betrayal.

Derek widened his eyes in shock when his senses warned him of danger, he managed to teleport himself out of the way of a huge blast of energy sent to him by the giant dragon that appeared from the cave. The dragon in question was a beautiful pale blue western dragon, the mythical beast had a slim and feminine type of body, he knows the difference because males, like Ddraig and his own dragon form, were bulkier and much more heavier, this blue dragon seemed to be built for speed but the silverette also could tell that she had immense proficiency with magic, "Ddraig, what the fuck is going on!?" The Hamilton heir screamed at his partner as he dodged another attack coming from the blue dragon.

 ** _"Yeah well, she, umm, hates me."_** The red dragon in question replied sheepishly.

Derek gritted his teeth in irritation and jabbed, "I can fucking see that, you twat!…" The silverette then shot one of his dragon shots at the dragon and added, "But why the fuck does she hates you!?" He then glided at the side to avoid the slash the blue dragon threw at him with her claws.

To the silverette's irritation, he could hear his partner calmly humming in thought as if they weren't in the middle of a fucking fight against a Dragon King. It took some moments for the red dragon to speak, but once he did, Derek sure wanted to kill the Welsh Dragon after he shamelessly replied, **_"Beats me."_**

"You fucking cunt…" Derek muttered annoyed before he was surprised when the dragon turned into a human. A beautiful curvy goddess with long pale blue hair and light blue eyes, she probably figured out that it was going to be easier to fight him like that than in her dragon form, though, he was delighted to see that she was naked, "Oi! Calm the fuck down would ya!?" The silverette screamed at her as he parried a powerful punch, her strength was incredible as it even managed to glide him back a little.

The beautiful woman just gritted her teeth as she replied, "After what you did!? No way! You insensitive asshole!" She jumped back and placed her hands together, she then separated them slowly and a small sphere of blue energy started to form.

Derek cursed as he jumped out of the way of the shot, sweatdropping when he saw the big explosion that ensued once the ball of energy clashed against the soil. He knows that he could go toe to toe against her, he didn't thought he could win but he could surely give her a run for her money, the problem was though that that would require him to go all out and that would attract a lot of attention, attention he did not needed right now. So he decided to take on a more peaceful course of action as he said, "I am not Ddraig!"

The female jumped at him again while stating, "I know that! You're his host!…" She then lifted her foot and brought it down, trying to deliver a powerful kick on Derek's head, but he managed to move and avoid the hit, "But I can sense that you have completely merged with him! Meaning that you and him are the same now!" She added as she tried to deliver a punch.

Derek used his forearms to stop the punch and cursed when it actually hurt like hell, he then kicked her in the stomach and sent her back some steps away from him. He cursed when he heard that from her, it was true, he had to merge his soul with Ddraig's to avoid certain death, so they were basically one now, "Alright, listen Tiamat, would you calm down and tell me what the fuck has you so angry!? Ddraig doesn't remember!" He said as he brought his hands forward in a placating manner, trying to get a civil conversation with her.

Tiamat just gritted her teeth before she crossed her arms below her hefty breasts and with a pout, said, "Sounds just like him!…" She then turned to the side and added angrily with a huff, "He destroyed my treasure! And the asshole even broke his promise to me!"

Derek just tilted his head and mentally asked the dragon in question, _"You remember now?"_

 ** _"Nope."_** Ddraig replied dryly without a care in the world.

"Cunt…" Derek muttered before he said after a sigh, "Listen Tiamat, he doesn't remember, so please, just tell what the fuck happened."

Tiamat just walked towards him with a pout, he didn't moved to defend or anything because he could feel that she carried no hostility now, so he just stayed there as she poked his chest and said with a cute angry expression, "My Karma Crystal! It took me centuries to create it and one day, the asshole came to me and asked to borrow it, since the crystal can contain infinite amounts of power, you can use it as a laser to release all the condensed energy in it without risking your life, the dickhead wanted to use it against Albion but he destroyed it! And not even an apology did I got!"

Derek just leaned back a little as he received the angry berating from the Dragon King, **_"Oh shit…"_** Ddraig then said inside his mind, making Derek focus on him as the beast added, **_"Hatchling, I remember now! And the promise! Oh shit, you're not gonna like this."_**

 _"What the fuck are you talking about!?"_ Derek asked confused before he turned to look at Tiamat who continued on her rant.

"And the promise he made! He didn't cared about it! He just got killed and sealed inside that stupid Sacred Gear!" Tiamat said as she grabbed his right hand where his gauntlet is.

"What's that promise you're talking about?" Derek asked warily, he was having a nagging feeling in his heart that he was not going to like this.

Tiamat looked at him and replied with anger, "Hatchlings! He promised me hatchlings! He is my husband so he promised me that we would have many hatchlings like I wanted!…" She then grabbed the stupefied Hamilton by the collar of his shirt and she continued with narrowed eyes, "But the asshole got himself sealed and disappeared!"

Derek just growled annoyed and asked the deadbeat husband in question, _"Care to fucking explain!?"_

Ddraig chuckled in his mind and as he ignored his host's anger, he elaborated, **_"Well, Tiamat and I are bonded, usually dragons do have many lovers but we can only bond with one, that one is referred to as our mate, or as you humans say, husband or wife, in our case Tiamat is my wife and I am her husband."_**

Derek grunted annoyingly until he widened his eyes after he remembered something, so said, _"Hold on a fucking minute!… you and I intertwined our souls… you and I are one… that means…"_

Ddraig laughed at his host as he concluded, **_"Hahaha! Yes boy, you are her husband too!"_**

"For your stupefied look I can see that Ddraig already explained it all to you." The voice of the naked female in front of him then brought him back to the real world, where Tiamat was looking at him with both annoyance and amusement.

Derek just sighed and said, "Yeah he did, but I don't know how can you so readily accept this."

Tiamat just shrugged as she replied, "You are practically his reincarnation, you act like him, you smell like him, you talk like him, you move like him, plus, I can feel what you truly are and I'm really surprised to know that such line is still running…" She then started to walk slowly towards him and said with a smirk, "You and Ddraig have merged, meaning that you have become the most powerful Red Dragon Emperor the world has and will ever see, with your blood added to the mix, our children will be at the top of the power chain!"

Derek gulped and as he walked back, he said while moving his arms to the sides repeatedly, "Wo wo wo wo! Hold just a second there! I have no interest in having kids now."

Tiamat shrugged while she continued walking predatorily towards him, saying with her smirk still in place, "Too bad I am, and you must take responsibility as my husband, I want hatchlings…" She then pushed herself on him once he had to stop due to a tree getting in his way and said seductively, "But don't worry my husband, it's going to take some time for me to get pregnant, we dragons are even more difficult to get pregnant than devils and angels, so we can have all the fun we want, you do owe me centuries of sex, my dear Derek."

"How do you know my name, woman?" Derek said as he decided to just go with it and hugged her from her waist.

Tiamat just smiled sweetly this time when she felt her mate's arm around her and she replied, "Ddraig mentally told me, we are bonded, so you, Ddraig and I can speak through our bond, doesn't matter where we are…" She then brought her arms around his neck and said right to his ear, "Now shut up and mate me."

Derek just raised an eyebrow as he asked, _"You don't have any problems with me sleeping with your 'wife', Ddraig?"_

The mighty dragon shrugged mentally when he replied, **_"I already told you, she's your mate too, you are bonded to her, your body is my body too, is just like with the rest of the girls you bed, they are technically my mates too, plus, I feel everything you feel, so that's good."_**

Derek just sighed and smirked as he brought his hands to Tiamat's perfect ass and lifted her up. She instinctively locked her legs around his hips and with a smirk, he said, "Fuck it then, my wife."

Tiamat smiled seductively at that and replied, "Took you long enough, my husband."

 **Lemon**

After those words, Derek immediately assaulted Tiamat's mouth with his own and the two began a dance of tongues, trying to win over the other. Derek knew very well that the way dragons have sex is completely primal, there's no foreplay or any sort of delay, they're creatures that jumped into a fight of dominance.

Derek also knows that Tiamat is the strongest of the Dragon Kings, meaning that besides Great Red and Ophis, she's currently the strongest dragon still in active and as such, she requires a powerful mate capable of dominating her in this things.

So the silverette stopped the kissing and violently threw Tiamat to the ground, making the female dragon growl in anger as she pounced on him. She managed to straddle him and continued to assault his mouth while getting rid of his clothes and once he was naked, she started grinding her vagina over his limp penis, "Get. Hard!" She demanded as she grinded faster.

Derek just growled back and said with bared fangs, "What makes you think you get to demand a thing from me?" The silverette then grabbed her by her butt and turned the situation around, with him on top of her now.

Tiamat growled in defiance but before she could do anything, she was turned on all fours and the silverette immediately pressed his body against hers, bringing his teeth to her neck to bite hard, sinking them into her smooth skin.

Tiamat began to fight the silverette's control on her but she lost her focus when he started to finger her, she knew that he knows that she wanted his penis but the son of a bitch was doing this on purpose, he wanted her to submit to him but she was not going to make things easy for him.

Derek growled even harder when Tiamat started to increase her strength, she wanted to take control but he was not going to relent, so thinking quickly, the silverette used his aura to increase the power of his pheromones. He then used his teeth and increased the power of his bite as he channelled his aura into her, making her moan in pleasure once she started to lose the fight.

Tiamat almost immediately regained her strength and tried to ignore her mate's fingers moving inside her vagina, the way her body was responding to her husband's aura was just like it has always been before, she always struggled when it came to not submit to Ddraig. But she still wanted to fight so the bluenette increased her power but suddenly lost focus when she could feel her first climax coming, "AH!… aarg…" She moaned as she leaned her head back to feel Derek's breath on her neck.

Tiamat then looked at Derek with shocked eyes when he suddenly stopped his movements, interrupting her orgasm abruptly, getting angry when she saw his mouth smirking in her neck as he increased his strength. Tiamat just growled angrily when she realized what he was doing, he wanted her to beg him, _'This… asshole…'_ She thought as she moaned again when he resumed his ministrations on her core.

This dance went on for some moments that to Tiamat seemed like an eternity, he would continue to finger her until she was close to orgasm but he would stop just before she hit the spot, she tried to fight it, she tried to turn the tables around but she couldn't hold her need for him anymore, "P-Please!… y-your penis… u-use it!… I… I b-beg you!" She finally said as she grinded her vagina over his fingers.

Derek smirked before he stopped biting her neck to say, "As you wish." He didn't wasted any more time as he immediately impaled the female dragon with his hard rock penis, he did it violently and without restraint, knowing that she wanted it that way.

"Oooaaa!… y-yes!… fi-finally!…" Tiamat moaned happily as she grabbed the dirt with her hands due to the pleasure, she had her face resting against the dirt as she enjoyed the pounding her mate was giving her, strong and violent, just how dragons like it.

Derek then grabbed her by the waist and stood up, he walked towards the edge of the lake and walked inside, placing the moaning female on the edge with her resting her upper body on the ground as her legs and hips were sunk in the water, with Derek pounding her with even more power.

"Fuuuck… ah… T-Tia…" Derek said between gritted teeth as he rested his torso over her back, "You're so tight!" He added as he began to fondle her breasts.

"Ah!… and… y-you're… _oooaa_ … y-you're as… f-fierce… as D-Draig…" She said between moans before she was turned on her back. Derek then immediately penetrated her again and as she hugged him and brought him close to her, she added, "T-That's it… m-mark me… a-again… I-I'm y-your mate… r-remind t-the rest… of t-that… ah!…"

Derek just grunted in acknowledgment as he brought his mouth to one of her breasts, he started to suck her left nipple while he used his left hand to pinch the neglected one, making the moans of the Dragon King louder and louder as his rhythm picked up according to her ragged breath.

Tiamat then flipped them over and without allowing Derek to fight back, she held him in place and brought her hips down on his penis, impaling herself so violently that her moan was also filled with pain, "O-Ow!… y-yes!… I-I've missed y… you… s-so much… my h-husband!…" She claimed with eyes closed in ecstasy as she increased her squats' speeds.

This continued on for almost an hour, Derek would allow Tiamat to have control for some time before he would take it away from her, he could feel that he was close and so was she, so he stood up and lifted her up by her butt while she locked her feet around his waist. She then bit him on his shoulder as she tried to contain her moans, Derek just bit her on the neck once again and as he increased his pace, he channelled more of hi aura into her, forcing her to release his shoulder to cry out as she reached her climax, "Ah!"

Derek felt his pelvis getting coated with her juices and that sent him over the edge, where he came hard inside her while biting her and growling like a beast.

The two stayed connected like that for some moments, enjoying the afterglow while recovering their breath after such animalistic display of carnal desire, "O-Oh… Great R-Red… t-this feeling… ho-how have I m-missed it…" Tiamat said in between tired breaths while resting her body on Derek's, enjoying the warmth and the feeling of having her mate holding her again after so many years.

"T-That was… a-another thing…" Derek said as he slumped on the ground to catch his breath. He has never experience such primal sex, it was beastly, animalistic, fuck, he didn't even remembered it all, he lost himself completely in his lust.

Tiamat just chuckled and leaned back a little to look at him, placing her hand atop of her womb and as she watched his semen flowing out of her still penetrated vagina, she said with a smile, "My, such strong semen, mmm, I can already feel the power our children will inherit…" She then kissed him lovingly and added, "You also ejaculated a lot, that's good, maybe I'll get pregnant soon."

Derek just snorted and once he recovered his strength, he stood up while carrying her and headed towards the lake while saying, "Hopefully not, I'm not interested in kids yet…" He then got inside the water with Tiamat still resting in his arms and added, "Now, let's clean ourselves up, I don't want the girls to smell our scent."

Tiamat just chuckled at that, she had the feeling that the silverette already had many mates and even more interested in him, but she didn't mind, as long as he destroyed her pride whenever they had sex, she will continue to love him as much as she has always loved Ddraig.

 **End Lemon**

* * *

"Where is he!?" Rias said annoyed as she tapped the ground with her foot. She, her peerage and the Sitri group have been waiting for some minutes for Derek to appear, they already found the new devils' familiars but since the silverette has yet to appear, they were getting worried.

"Well, perhaps he died." Zatōji said nonchalantly as he shrugged his shoulders.

The Familiars Master then went pale as he felt the angry gazes aimed at him coming from the two devil groups, but just before he got killed by any of the angry girls, Michael said, "Well, we did felt that strange burst of power some minutes ago."

The rest of the people present just frowned at that, the blond {Knight} was right. A little over half an hour ago they felt a powerful wave of energy along with an explosion, they tried to tell themselves that it had nothing to do with the British heir but seeing that he was nowhere in sight, was starting to make them shiver in worry.

"Oh…" A sudden pained moan was then heard coming from behind the trees, making them all turn to look at the male they've been waiting for walking painfully towards them while leaning against the trees to help his limping hike, "M-My fucking pelvis, mate… she was relentless…" He added as he finally managed to reach the groups, "What?" Derek asked as he stood in front of the stupefied devils.

"Dear!…" Tsubasa screamed as she ran to him and hugged him tightly, "Y-You idiot! Y-You ha-had us all w-worried!"

Derek grunted in discomfort a little as he was still quite sore from such intense love making with Tiamat, who by the way, was already waiting for him back at his home, he did not wanted to let anyone know about her just yet, "Come on Tsu, you should already know that I'm one tough bloody fucker." He said as he petted his 'girlfriend'.

The rest of the girls were getting jealous and annoyed, so Rias cleared her throat and said irately, "Good to see you finally gracing us with your presence…" Derek just smirked fiercely at the redhead, finding it amusing to see her jealous, she just blushed at his divine smirk and stuttered, "A-Anyway… c-care to tell us w-what were you d-doing?"

Sona cleared her throat as well before she added, "Yeah, you don't happen to have something to do with the burst of energy released some minutes ago, do you?"

The silverette shrugged and replied uncaringly, "Yeah I do…" The devils were surprised at that, so he added, "I had to check on something and came across a fucking golem."

The devils widened their eyes at that, with Tsubasa saying worriedly, "Dear! A-Are you okay!? D-Did you got yourself h-hurt!?"

Derek just snorted and replied, "I already told you I'm fine, sure, the rocky twat was one tough motherfucker, but I dealt with it, though…" He then pointed at his hips and added, "I did got punched on the hips hard, good thing the Coach gave me rest for this week."

They all sighed at that, knowing that he was not going to reveal anything, so they decided to just let it go for now, "Well, at least you're okay." Rias said as she crossed her arms below her bust.

Derek looked at Asia and as he saw the small blue dragon in her arms, he said, "I see you were successful in your search."

Rias nodded and replied with a smile, "Yes, Asia, Ruruko and Saji all got themselves some familiars."

Ruruko stepped forward and showed the silverette the small dog in her arms, saying, "T-This is Chop!" The small bulldog-like creature woofed happily as if greeting him.

Saji was next when he put his arms forward and showed Derek a rock, "This is Brawly!"

Derek raised an eyebrow as he said, "That's a fucking rock, what are going to do with it? Throw it at someone?" He grunted when Tsubasa nudged his stomach, probably for his rudeness.

Saji got mad as he explained, "Hey come on man! This is a baby golem!…" As he said that, the little fat rock suddenly opened like a turtle and showed a timid baby golem, looking at the silverette with fear before the little creature yelped and curled like a porcupine, cooing in its master's arms, "He's shy now, but he will grow strong real soon!"

Derek just nodded bored before he turned to look at Asia who walked closer towards him and said as she held the small blue dragon up, "T-This is D-Dek… I umm… I named him a-after you." The small dragon growled angrily at Derek as he started to cover his small body in lightning.

Derek however just narrowed his eyes and sent a silent threat at the baby dragon, letting him know that he was the Alfa. The small sprite dragon whimpered in fear and hid himself in Asia's arms, scared out of his small mind, "The little fucker needs trying…" Derek said coldly as he released himself from Tsubasa's grip. He then turned to look at Zatōji and smirked knowingly at him, making the Familiars Master widen his eyes as he understood that Derek had contracted none other than Tiamat, "Now, if there's nothing left to do, I see you fellas back at Luxembourg, I'm gonna take a long nap so don't bother me for the rest of the day." With that, he disappeared in a red flash.

"Prick." Tsubasa muttered with a small smile, she wanted to spend some time with him but she had a lot of work to do back home, so unfortunately she was not going to be able to sleep with him today.

Rias just sighed tiredly and after she turned to look at her comrades, she said, "Let's go then…" The redheaded heiress looked at Zatōji and added with a smile, "Thanks for the help, Zatōji."

The man laughed wholeheartedly before he replied, "No problem, Princess Gremory, I'm always at your service, have a safe journey back home!…" They all nodded at the man with smiles and both groups disappeared, leaving the extravagant man to mutter, "I can't believe he actually managed to catch Tiamat…" Zatōji then looked at the moon and added, "Could he be… the very best… like no one ever was?"

* * *

Derek groaned once he appeared inside his home, he wanted nothing more than to go to bed and sleep all day but the figure of a familiar male sitting on his couch watching the TV confused the silver-haired heir as he said, "Al? What are you doing here?" Derek walked towards the couch and sat next to one of his closest friends.

Aleister smiled at his best friend and leader as he replied cheerfully, "Came to visit you, Boss!"

"Husband, are you home?" The voice of Tiamat then brought Derek's attention back to the kitchen, where the female in question appeared limping as she strode towards him, sitting on his lap and resting her head on his chest.

"My body still hurts Tia, for fucks sakes." Derek said annoyed as he started caressing the female's body.

Tiamat chuckled before she replied, "Mine too! That's why I'm sleeping right here." She then closed her eyes and surprisingly, actually fell asleep right away.

"Well, there's that…" Derek muttered with an ever so slightly smirk. He then looked back at his second in command and said with seriousness, "Now, what are you doing here, Al? I know there's got to be a good reason for you to cut your mission short."

Aleister just chuckled at the scene but after getting his composure back, he explained with equal seriousness, "Our buddies from Novum are beginning to move, your grandfather found them making some shady deals in Ukraine so he called me and cancelled my mission."

Derek narrowed his eyes at that and said, "I see, this could be troublesome…" He then stroked the sleeping dragon's humanoid face and added, "I guess he sent you to get me?"

Aleister nodded as he spoke, "Yeah, he wanted me to take you to him."

"Sure but…" Derek said as he lifted himself up and carried Tiamat bridal style. He looked back at Aleister and added, "I'm going to sleep for a while, we'll leave tomorrow morning, feel free to grab or do anything here, there are two spare rooms so use any of those when you go to sleep." With that, Derek went upstairs towards his room to rest, knowing that a big and complicated day awaited him tomorrow.

The blackette boy just chuckled and nodded as he turned back to the TV, he was feeling really troubled by the situation since he knows that Novum was no joking matter, but he was also worried for his friend, knowing Derek's condition and that every moment that went by, just increased the problem he has yet to solve.

* * *

 **A/N: There you lads have it, I hope you liked it! See you later, cheers!**


	4. Opening (Part 1)

**A/N: Yo guys! We're back with another chappie of ODAD! But lemme say some stuff first.**

 **This story will have two main plots, one in the supernatural world and the other in the human world. I want you guys to have this in mind as this story will contain a lot of politics, there will be many chapters were everything is mainly talk, discussing moves and such, like this chapter. With that said, there is a disclaimer I must make, since this story will have a big part in the human world, I will be using real events and names for the purpose of making this story feel more real, meaning that I will not shy away from controversial topics, the story is going to get darker from here on, but the only thing I will never, ever touch in my stories, is rape, I have no idea why people in this site are so obsessed with that, using it for everything, there are more and better ways to deliver shock, fellas, don't misuse such disgusting thing, it will be mentioned sometimes as I cannot pretend that it does not exists either, but that's just it. But returning to the point, what I mean is that there will be mentions here about events in real life, manly regarding terrorist events, do not for a second believe that I am taking advantage of such cowardly acts, I am a Londoner myself, so I know how it feels to live through such thing, what I mean with the real world events thingy is that I will use the real names of politicians and countries, do not take anything I write about them here as a fact, as it is pure fiction, I have no bases nor proof of the things imagined here. Do not get mad if I show your country as the villain or if something happens to said countries, again, is pure fiction. If you find any of this as a turn off for you, then stop reading, if you don't, then I deny any responsibility for the fictional events that will occur in the story.**

 **As I mentioned just now, this chapter is mainly talk, so is the next one, the reason is because Derek is an OC, you know nothing about him and I am not going to make the mistake of just making him cool and crush everyone in his path. I want you guys to know about his family, the people that care for him, the ones that hate him, I want you to know that Derek is not cold and uncaring just so that he can look cool, there is a very big reason for that and as the story goes you will learn it, so don't get mad if sometimes the story gets slow, I want you to get attached to Derek, but since characters like him are hard to get attached to, I have to make sure to not just build his character, but his surroundings as well.**

 **This chapter and story is also dedicated to a dear friend of mine who perished on the recent shooting in Las Vegas, he was one of my loyal readers and I practically started writing this due to him and some other friends. This story and TBE are dedicated to him, I will finish them for him and I hope that they're good enough for him to have enjoyed, cheers to you my friend, wherever you are now.**

 **I had to split this chapter into two as it dragged on too much, it's already 17k words long and if I continued it would go over the 25k mark, that's why the ending may be abrupt.**

 **There's a note at the end that you must read, so make sure you do it before you comment on a certain even mentioned here.**

"Derek" - Normal Speech.

 _'Derek'_ \- Thought.

 _"Derek"_ \- Derek mentally speaking.

 **"Ddraig"** \- Ddraig/Albion speaking through the Sacred Gears/Divinities talking.

 _ **"Ddraig"**_ \- Ddraig speaking inside Derek's mind.

* * *

 **Opening (Part 1)**

"A-Ah… D-D-Derek… hu… hurry…" A moaning blue-haired female said to the aforementioned male as she hugged him tightly while he pounded her core with no mercy. Tsubasa and Derek were currently in the football team's locker room enjoying a quickie, since Derek was going to be in England for a few days Tsubasa wanted to feel her lover connected to her before he left.

"Grr…" Derek just growled like a beast as he increased his thrusts' speed. Fuck, he fricking loved the way Tsubasa looked at him with lust-filled eyes as her back and ass bounced against the wall, almost as if he was trying to break through it with her body.

Tsubasa immediately felt her boyfriend's penis twitching inside her vagina and knew that he was close, she was glad for that too because she has been holding her own orgasm to wait for him to reach it, "Ooooh… D-Derek…" She released muffled scream as she bit his shoulder to stop her voice from being heard, the way Derek's sperm invades her womb never stops sending delicious shivers down her spine.

Both lovers stayed there unmoving, Tsubasa resting her body on Derek while locking her legs around his waist as he held her by her butt. They enjoyed their afterglow for some moments before Derek said, "Come on Tsu, I need to talk to Sona."

Tsubasa moaned in protest when Derek unsheathed his member from her sex but it quickly faded when the heartless boy gave her a small yet loving kiss on her lips. She will never be able to stop her chuckle whenever Derek shows his 'warmer' side as it was such a strange occurrence that it's easier to see Halley's Comet than to see this side of him. Though, as she put on her panties and fixed her uniform, she couldn't deny the fact that it felt really good to be one of the few able to see this side of him, more so when it was she the one that inspired such demonstration of emotion.

"She's gotta be in the SC's room, let's go!" She said with a smile as she grabbed her silver-haired boyfriend's hand and led him towards her peerage's HQ.

Derek will not deny that he feels a little irritated with being dragged around school by Tsubasa holding his hand, he was the most popular person in the campus, more so that even Rias, so every student had their eyes on him as his girlfriend dragged him towards Sona. He hated this kind of thing, not because he wanted to keep his relationship with Tsubasa hidden mind you, after all, he held no shame in acknowledging that yes, he has a Harem, anyone who asks him will receive the truth. The problem was that her openly screaming that she was with him will ignite the rest of the females' competitiveness and as a result, their advances towards him will become even more aggressive, they were already aggressive, heck, he wouldn't be surprised if one of them tries to rape him.

But it didn't really mattered to him, he stopped sleeping around with random girls the moment he started allowing the girls to claim their stake on him, simply because they made sure to remind him that he 'belonged' to them as much as they could, so sex was no longer something he really needed to vent like before.

"I really hate when you have sex before we have to do something, Boss…" The sudden voice of Derek's second in command and closest friend won his attention towards the blackette handsome male who spoke. Aleister was leaning coolly against the wall beside the SC's room's door, he was looking at him with both mirth and annoyance as he added, "It reminds me that I'm still single."

Tsubasa immediately went red with embarrassment at being caught by this stranger, she didn't know who he was but the way he eyed her boyfriend told her that he knew who Derek was, "I… w-we… umm…" She stuttered as she tried to mount a denial.

Tsubasa turned to look at the Hamilton heir as he ruffled her blue locks and said with his ever present emotionless gaze, "Relax Tsubasa, he's my second in command, Aleister Thompson."

Said young man extended his hand to her and greeted cheerfully, "Nice to meet ya!"

Tsubasa shook her head out of her stupor and smiled back at the handsome man and said as she shook his hand, "The pleasure is mine, I am Tsubasa Yura by the way…" She then widened her eyes when she registered something Derek said, so asked, "W-Wait… se-second in command… you mean…"

Aleister smiled as he confirmed her guess, "Yup! I am one of the two surviving Ghosts!" He seemed way too laidback for a man of his calibre.

Tsubasa stared at the boy for some moments before she giggled, she was really surprised to see that someone who shared Derek's training and soldier conditioning was this, cheerful.

"With that done, let's go." Derek then said as he opened the door of the Student Council's room, followed closely by Tsubasa and Aleister.

As they walked inside the room, they saw Rias and Sona engaged in a game of chess with their queens standing dutifully by their side, enjoying the game. Tsubasa greeted her master and friend before she walked towards the rest of her peerage to begin her work of the day.

Sona and Rias immediately turned to look at the handsome heir, with Rias saying with a smile, "Derek! How are you!?"

Ignoring the knowing snicker from the black-haired male standing by his side, the mentioned Hamilton heir replied, "Alive I guess…" Once again ignoring the blank faces of the people in the room, he added, "I came here to tell you Sona that I'll be going back to London for a few days, the Coach and the Chancellor already know but I was informed that I also had to let you know."

Everyone but Tsubasa were surprised at those words, with Sona saying, "Oh… o-okay…" She eyed her redheaded best friend before she questioned, "I-It's everything alright?"

Derek shrugged as he replied, "Who knows, that's what I'm going to check…" He could tell that Rias was about to inquire further, so he added, "I can't speak about it because its official business, I still work for the British Government, remember?"

Rias shut her mouth and nodded at him, feeling really frustrated that she could not know much about her crush's life but she had to mature, she was adamant in growing out of her bratty-self. Ever since her talk with Tsubasa, she came to the conclusion that she indeed was quite jealous and possessive, something that, even before Tsubasa pointed out, she knew pissed the silverette like hell, he was someone who had no trouble walking away from anyone as his emotional state was a well-known mess. So even if she was still in deep shit with the whole Raiser situation, she was not going to show anymore of her immaturity to the man she piled her affections for, "J-Just be safe." She muttered with a smile, surprising everyone in the room who thought she would throw a tantrum.

Even Derek was surprised, as he had his eyebrow raised, but he was impressed none the less, perhaps, he could grow to like her in a deeper manner, "Well then, I'll see you lads in three or four days…" He turned around to leave but added as he gestured the blackette, "This is Aleister Thompson by the way, my second in command, you'll be seeing a lot of him from now on." Said boy smiled at them and nodded in greeting, which the devils quickly returned.

The pair then left the room and headed towards the Campus' entrance, where Derek's car awaits them. Aleister grabbed the keys and dutifully opened the passenger door for the British royal who nodded in thanks at him before he walked towards the driver's side, after all, Derek loved to gaze around whenever he was inside a car, it was a hobby of his, so if he had the chance to pass the driving the duty to someone else, he won't hesitate in taking it.

"What do you think your grandfather wants to do?" Aleister asked his friend as he drove towards the airport. Sure, Derek could just teleport them there, but there was nothing like living as a normal human when you're anything but normal.

Derek continued watching the streets as they drove by them, the people walking around going about their business. He sighed and replied, "I don't know, Novum is a tricky subject, we know nearly next to nothing about them…" He turned forwards and added, "But they are definitely a considerable threat."

Thompson nodded at that and commented, "They have to if they are capable of stirring such a division in Russia, Russians are highly patriotic, to think that they are at the brink of civil war is quiet concerning."

Derek only hummed in response as he continued to look around the city. He kept his pondering even once they arrived to the airport and boarded the private jet that will be taking them to England, something big was brewing and he fucking knew it.

* * *

"Do you think something serious happened?" Akeno asked the people in the room as she stared at the door where the Hamilton heir disappeared. She was feeling worried for him since he did seemed troubled by something and so far she has never seen him troubled by anything.

Both Rias and Sona sighed, with the latter stating, "Who knows, it didn't seemed to be something related to his family."

"Yes, perhaps it has to do with something related to the UK, he is part of the royal family after all, so maybe something happened in the country." Rias then added her guess.

Sona fixed her glasses as she commented, "Seems like you're not the only one with urgent problems."

Rias narrowed her eyes at her best friend when she spoke, "Don't go there, Sona…" She sighed and added, "Raiser is no joke, he's a sick bastard who only wants a 'Trophy Wife', why would my father and mother force me into marriage with a glorified rapist is beyond my comprehension."

Sona was about to apologize for her insensitive comment but was interrupted when a light-blue glow filled the room, alerting everyone that someone was teleporting into the room. They were about to go on alert when they recognized the crest that appeared, "Don't worry, Rias…" A monotone feminine voice was heard saying. The voice belonged to Seekvaria Agares who appeared alongside her {Queen}, "You won't be worrying about that for much longer." She added with a slight smirk on her face.

Everyone was surprised to see the Agares heiress here in Luxembourg, neither Rias nor Sona had a close relationship with the blonde, merely acquaintances, that's why Rias asked surprised, "S-Seekvaria!? What are you doing here?"

Seekvaria chuckled as she greeted everyone present, both peerages greeting her back, showing their respect towards the most intelligent young pure-blooded devil. She walked towards her fellow heiresses and sat on an empty seat beside them as she answered, "Well, I came to help you, Rias."

Rias was confused, like her peerage and friends, so questioned, "With what?"

Seekvaria just snorted and responded, "With Raiser, what else?"

Rias' eyes went wide after hearing that, in truth, she has been getting desperate, Derek was out of the question since he would not join her peerage no matter what and there are no exceptional candidates that could give her an edge in her bid to be free. But still, she did not understand why the Agares heiress would help her, "W-Why would you do that?" She didn't wanted to sound ungrateful but she knew that one could never be too paranoid.

"Because I hate Raiser…" Seekvaria replied as she gratefully accepted her tea from Tsubaki, "The bastard came to me some days ago, he wanted to 'play' with me before he marries you." She added with disgust.

Everyone in the room went wide-eyed at that, they knew that Raiser was a cocky bastard but this was beyond being a bastard, "W-What?" Rias whispered.

Seekvaria sighed before she replied, "The asshole has a fixation with me ever since I made the stupid mistake of smiling at him when he made an advance."

Sona raised an eyebrow at that, questioning, "Why would you do that?"

The Agares female laughed a little before she replied, "You all know that I am with Derek, right?…" Everyone nodded at that, giving Tsubasa a sidelong glance. Seekvaria seeing that, said, "Oh stop the worried glances, I know that he's with Tsubasa as well, you should already know that the bastard is a fricking hit with women…" She giggled with Tsubasa who nodded her agreement, lightening everyone's mood, "Now, back on topic, I did that stupid thing because six years ago, when I was sure that I wanted something more from Derek than just mind-blowing sex, I thought that perhaps if I pushed his buttons he was going to relent and admit that he has feelings for me, long story short, he was invited to my family's ball, Raiser was there too, tried to flirt with me and I thought that maybe I could get Derek jealous."

Rias giggled as she concluded, "I presume that your plan failed."

Seekvaria chuckled while saying, "Spectacularly…" She sipped her tea and added, "The asshole didn't even blinked, he just kept drinking until later I found him fucking the brains out of one of my maids, I had thought that maybe he did it out of revenge but nope, he actually thought I was going to be busy with Raiser so found himself someone else to pass the time." She chuckled at the memory, as if it wasn't a fucked up moment.

The rest of the devils chuckled awkwardly at the tale, not really knowing how to react since for what they could tell, Derek and Seekvaria had a very strange relationship, "W-Well… I…" Rias was saying before she stopped, not knowing how to answer.

Seekvaria saw everyone's expression, it made her laugh a little before she spoke, "I know, sounds pretty fucked up when you're a third party observer but well, unless you know our story or at least you know Derek well, you won't know how normal that is for us actually."

Everybody sweat-dropped at the heiress' words, she said them with such ease that it really caught them off guard. But getting back on track, Rias cleared her throat and inquired, "W-Well, anyway, you said you wanted to help me, how?"

Seekvaria smirked as she replied, "Well, for what I can guess, I believe you want to push this thing until a Rating Game is called so you can bet your freedom, right?"

Rias widened her eyes a little, shocked, but she quickly regained her composure as she remembered who she was talking to, Seekvaria was without a doubt the most cunning young devil of her generation, "Y-Yes, at least, that was my plan but…" She trailed off, not knowing whether she should tell Seekvaria about her failed plan of adding Derek to her peerage or not.

She didn't had to though, as Seekvaria said, "You failed to force Derek into your peerage, then you tried to convince him but he completely rejected you?"

Rias and the rest of the devils once again widened their eyes, if Seekvaria knew about Rias' plan, they didn't know how was she going to react, after all, Seekvaria was supposedly Derek's most important person.

Seekvaria seeing the tension building up in everyone in the room, defused it by saying, "Relax, I'm not here to pick up petty fights, while I do not appreciate someone trying to kill my fiancé…" Everybody, including Tsubasa, gasped at the word fiancé, prompting Seekvaria to say, "Yes, he's my fiancé, though, he still doesn't know…" The blonde giggled stiffly before she added while looking at every female in the room, "Don't worry ladies, if any of you manage to break his walls like Tsubasa here, I'm not going to get in the way, after all, I long ago understood that I will have to share."

Most females in the room didn't know why they strangely felt relieved at those words, but stowing such things for later, Rias asked, "H-He told you?"

Seekvaria nodded as she replied, "Yes, he also knows about your arranged marriage."

Rias gasped at that while sadness started to creep up her body, "H-He… doesn't care…" She whispered a little heartbroken, knowing that the man you have affection for does not care for you, is quite tough.

The Agares heiress sighed as she explained, "It's not that Rias, yes, he doesn't care about your problems because he is not the kind of guy that goes out of the way to help people, I don't know what kind of impression you have of him but let me make something clear for you, Derek is NOT a good guy, he's not a bad guy either, he's just someone that minds his own business, if you want his help, you have to ask for it."

Those words really confused everyone in the room, they knew that Derek was a cold guy, not someone that goes around helping people or something the like, but they thought that he was at least a decent guy, so feeling really confused, Sona asked, "U-Umm… what do you mean with him not being a 'good' guy?"

Seekvaria sighed as she replied, "You people seriously underestimate humanity…" She sipped her tea and continued, "Derek is a SOLDIER, do you have any idea what that means?…" She saw that everyone was even more confused, so knowing that they indeed had no idea what that meant, she explained, "Soldiers of his calibre are put through extreme training, Derek was tortured, hurt, left alone in hostile environments, was forced to kill, to torture, to destroy families, relationships, countries, he was broken, so much so that he doesn't trusts anyone all the way, not me, not his grandfather, not his sister, heck, not even himself…" Seekvaria then stood up and walked towards the desk, leaning on it as she continued, "Alice, his baby sister, is the person that he cares for the most, sure, I'm close second, but she's the first, and yet…" She narrowed her eyes and said with a grave tone, "He won't hesitate to kill her if she goes against his plans."

Everyone gasped at that, they were really surprised by the tale since they have never really put a thought on what it really meant to be a soldier. They knew it was very difficult and that they went through horrific things, but the fact that Derek went through that never really crossed their minds.

"I'm telling you this because what I am about to propose is something that might earn Derek's ire if you do not play your cards right…" Seekvaria said as she crossed her arms below her bust, "I'm also helping you because I too get something out of this." She then added with a smirk.

After regaining her wits, Rias shook her head and narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the beautiful Agares heiress, she did saw this coming, after all, they were devils, "What do you gain from this?"

Seekvaria smirked as she replied, "The ability to use Derek in a Rating Game."

Rias and the rest widened their eyes at that, they all knew that Derek did not belonged to any peerage, heck, he wasn't even a devil, so Seekvaria saying that she could use him in the Rating Games really shook their ground, "W-What do you mean!? H-He's not even a devil!" Sona then questioned, seeing that no one had the wits to do it.

Seekvaria chuckled before she replied, "There's no specific rule that states that only devils can play, you all know that you can temporarily trade one of your free pieces in order to use someone you want, a friend, an ally, blah blah blah, as long as their value is within your pieces' range, then you can give your piece for the duration of the game and once done, you get it back."

"Like a mercenary?" Tsubasa questioned, kinda understanding the woman whom she shared her lover with.

Seekvaria gave the bluenette a small smile as she nodded humming, "Mhm… exactly like that."

"But why would I need you to do that? Or why would you need me to do it?" Rias then questioned once she reigned her surprise. She understood what Seekvaria was saying since she also knows that rule, but still, she didn't know why her fellow heiress would need her to use him.

Seekvaria turned to look at the Gremory heiress to reply, "Well, you know that to do that you need to have a contract with the 'mercenary' and as I'm sure you know, I have a contract with him…" They nodded at that, prompting her to continue, "There is a clause that he accepted, the clause stipulates that he can be used in Rating Games as long as he's available, the problem is that I do not have enough to 'pay' for his services, you get me?"

"You don't have enough pieces for him?" Sona inquired, greatly intrigued by this proposal.

Seekvaria nodded as Akeno questioned, "How many pieces do you have?"

Seekvaria knew that the answer will shock them all, so not hiding her amused smirk, she replied, "Six pawns and one rook."

As Seekvaria guessed, everyone shouted in surprise when they heard her, with Rias stating, "You're telling me that Derek has a higher value than a queen!?"

"Yes, not even a value of eleven was enough to seal the clause…" Seekvaria then touched the desk behind her and after a small magic circle appeared, a paper materialized over the desk, "I honestly don't know why he is so highly valued… well, I DO know why but even so, I still think it's too much…" She narrowed her eyes while mumbling the last part, there was something her beloved was hiding from her and she knew it. His status as this generation's Red Dragon Emperor was something she knows but the power he has goes beyond that, the fact that her own father mused that he might be worth more than the king itself was something that cemented her suspicion. But stowing such things aside, she looked at her fellow devils and saw that they wanted to know about Derek, so she quickly said, "It's not my place to tell you what he really is, you'll have to wait, but don't worry, I have a feeling you won't be left hanging for much longer."

Rias just sighed defeated, she wanted to know about her crush badly but she knew that Seekvaria was not going to betray the Hamilton heir, simply because she herself wouldn't do it, so she could only wait until he reveals his secret. But shaking her head out of such questions, she stood up and walked towards Seekvaria as she said, "So if I get this right, you want to make this clause a shared benefit with me?"

Seekvaria smirked at the red-head and answered, "Correct, help me cover the price and you will have the chance to use him in the Rating Games, you win, I win and we satisfy Derek's lust for battle."

Rias smiled at Seekvaria, she was feeling a little bit of hope sprouting in her heart, if she could use Derek in the Rating Game, then she was sure she at least has a chance to win, so she immediately agreed, "Alright, I'll do it."

Seekvaria smirked and then looked back at the contract, placing her six pawns and one rook over it as she said, "Alright then, let's see how much does my beloved fiancé costs."

Rias understood and summoned her pieces, "I have eight pawns, two of which are mutated pieces, meaning I have a total value of ten with the pawns…" She then looked at her pieces and added, "And I have a free knight and a free rook, that makes a total value of eighteen."

Sona stood up and walked towards her fellow heiresses to comment, "There is no possible way that Derek will require so much, my sister's value is twenty-four, only Lord Beelzebub and Lord Lucifer are valued higher."

Rias nodded at that but Seekvaria said, "Well, I wouldn't be too sure…" She felt everyone's gazes on her, probably they thought she was crazy, so sighing, she claimed, "Let's just do this and see how much he costs."

Rias nodded and watched as Seekvaria placed her six pawns and one rook over the paper. Knowing what to do, the Gremory girl grabbed two pawn pieces and was about to place them when Seekvaria said annoyed, "Rias, stop being so fricking dense, I'm damn sure that Derek will require at least all of your pawns."

Rias looked at the Agares with a raised eyebrow but knowing that she won't lose any piece with this, she sighed and grabbed her eight pawns and placed them over the contract.

Everyone, even Seekvaria, were expecting to see the pieces sinking into the contract, signalling that the price has been reached, but they were completely shocked to see that nothing happened, the pieces and the paper were still there, there was no signature in the contract, meaning that the price has not been reached.

"W-What the hell!?" Rias said shocked.

"I-Impossible… t-there is a total v-value of twenty-one! How in the hell can that be possible!" Sona muttered, shelled shocked about this development.

"Well, damn…" Seekvaria mumbled, she really did not expected this. This only made her suspicion about her fiancé grow even more, why is he so damn expensive? He's apparently valued as much as an Ultimate-class Devil, "R-Rias, use your knight or rook." Seekvaria then said.

Rias shook her head to get out of her shock and nodded, taking her knight piece atop of the paper to see if this time works, and much to their surprise, this time the paper did glowed, it consumed the pieces until only two pawns were left, "A-Amazing…" Rias muttered as she held her two pawns.

"S-So Derek has a value of twenty-two…" Tsubasa muttered, she knows that her boyfriend is something especial, but hell, she didn't expected him to be valued higher than Sona and Rias combined.

"It appears so…" Seekvaria whispered as she eyed the contract, looking at the two new signatures that appeared, letting her know that the price has finally been reached, "Well Rias, it seems it worked." She then announced with a small smile.

Rias looked numbly at the blonde woman and nodded, still too shocked to formulate words.

"Just what the hell is he?" Sona muttered to herself. She wasn't feeling so reassured with this, she doesn't have anything against the handsome silverette but damn if he wasn't so fricking secretive, she hated when something was out of her understanding, it unnerved the Sitri heiress to no end.

Seekvaria sighed and as she grabbed the contract, said, "You'll know in due time…" She then channelled her magic into the paper and after a soft glow, the pieces were back on the table. She grabbed hers and after Rias took hers, the Agares stated, "I trust that you understand that if I use Derek in a game, the pieces required from your side to reach his price will be automatically used and will leave you unable to use them until the game is over, same with me if you use him."

The Gremory Princess nodded her head and replied, "Y-Yeah, I understand but…" She looked at her pieces and continued, "What if I get a new servant? If I want to use Derek but I already have my pieces placed on someone else?"

"Then the servants on which you used your pieces will have to sit the game out, like a temporary trade." The Agares heiress explained.

Rias nodded in understanding and relief, she was afraid that once she took on more servants she would lose the ability to use her crush in the games.

"Now then, with that set…" Seekvaria started walking towards the door as she added, "I'm going to rest for the rest of the day, I've been working on my Mechas for a while and I want to take these days I'll be here as a vacation."

"Where will you be staying?" Sona asked.

Seekvaria smirked and replied, "Why, in my fiancé's house of course…" She then looked at Tsubasa and said with a little sultry voice, "I guess I'll see you at night, _sister_." She then left with her {Queen} in tow as she chuckled at Tsubasa's red face.

" _Sigh…_ Well, that was weird." Saji spoke a little timidly, not able to hide his shock at everything that happened.

" _Mou…_ I wanted to ask her about Derek!" Momo whined with a cute pout, a whine that everyone shared since Seekvaria was the person that knows the silver-haired enigma the most.

Tsubasa just chuckled at her fellow Sitri comrade, saying, "Don't worry, I'm sure she'll tell us about him later."

Everybody sighed at that but nodded none the less, the only thing they could do now was to wait for tomorrow to speak with her again. Though, Rias was a little nervous for how her crush will react at the news, she might need to push him a little but she knows that one wrong move and all her chances with him will be gone in a second.

* * *

"I would be lying if I told you that the smell of fuel, dust, rain and ill-founded sense of superiority and smugness does not makes me feel at home." Derek muttered to his amused companion as they stepped outside the limousine that picked them up from the airport. He was looking at the ever cloudy sky of London with a small glint of melancholy in his piercing blue eyes.

Aleister chuckled at the Hamilton's words, commenting, "And people say British do not have a sense of humour."

Derek just shrugged and replied as he walked inside the SIS building, "We do, people are just still mad that we used to own three quarters of the world, hence the insults."

Aleister just chuckled again, he really cherished these moments where his best friend and older brother figure allowed himself some room to joke, it was a rare occurrence indeed, he just wish that Derek was not waiting to be killed or to kill every second of his life.

"Sir!" Every person working inside the MI6 building immediately stopped what they were doing and saluted the second highest military officer of the country. Everyone in the country admired Derek as he was seen as an icon for the British people, a lion roaring to revive the dampen corpse of the former British Empire.

"At ease." Derek replied with a small nod as he continued walking further into the building.

"How many of these girls have you screwed?" Aleister whispered next him with a teasing smirk.

Derek just sighed as he replied, "You need to get a fucking girl Al, I wouldn't be surprised if you're still paying that premium account in PornHub."

Aleister fell face first after the jab and once he stood up again, he heatedly accused, "H-How the hell do you know that!? Are you spying on me!?"

Derek just looked at his closest friend and with blank look, replied, "You paid that damn account with one of my credit cards once, remember? I had to give a lot of explanations to Seekvaria that fricking day."

Aleister stared at the silverette for some moments before he laughed awkwardly while scratching his scruff, "Hehehe… r-right… I forgot that…" Saying in between awkward chuckles.

Derek looked at the front and after nodding at the two officers who opened the door to the highest level floor of the building, said with a small smirk, "Returning to topic, I saw you looking at a short blond-haired girl back there in Luxembourg."

The black-haired American boy blushed a little as he remembered the cute innocent girl he saw in the halls of Derek's University, he will be lying if he said that he didn't liked the cute girl, "I… umm… I d-don't know what a-are you talking about…" He muttered while avoiding looking at his superior.

Derek just smirked a little more and as he raised his eyebrow, he looked at the flustered boy and said, "Oh, really now…" He snorted when Aleister blushed even harder, prompting Derek to add when he looked at the front again, "Her name is Asia Argento, once we go back, I want to see you talking to her, no excuses."

Aleister blushed even more but replied while saluting at the silverette, "Sir, yes sir!"

Their banter was interrupted however, when a beautiful light-brown-haired female appeared before them. She had straight hair that reached just above her shoulders, her eyes were piercing olive-green-coloured that perfectly matched her porcelain face, she was taller than normal, some centimetres shorted than Derek and was wearing her military officer's uniform proudly as it hugged her hourglass figure quite well. On the surface, one would think that this gorgeous thirty-six year old was a calm and peaceful woman, but in reality, she was one of the deadliest agents of MI6, she was trained by Derek himself after all.

"M-Master!" Vanessa Jones saluted her mentor with an almost unnoticeable blush on her cheeks. Sure, she was older than him, but Derek was known to not give a damn about that.

Derek looked at his apprentice and couldn't help but reminisce how he met her six years ago. A normal operative that focused on monitoring the Internet for any kind of threat to their country, she was brought to the crude side of the world when her father was murdered by the mob, she was so devastated that she completely threw herself into training as a field agent in order to get her revenge. She worked hard in getting the identities of the people responsible for her father's death, but the main responsible was so secretive that she had to resort to the highest ranking officers in order to get info, so one day she approached Derek on the rare occasions he came, she knew who he was and back then while he still was at the beginning of his military training, he was already part of the top branch.

Vanessa tried hard to get info from everyone but she failed, so she went to Derek and cornered him in his office, befriending him, chatting about random things and once the day approached the night, she invited him to a nearby pub. He knew something was up, but being an alcohol enthusiast himself, he agreed and both headed towards the pub, where she blatantly tried to get him drunk. She became frustrated however, when Derek drank and drank but he didn't even blinked, she of course didn't know that due to his dragon partner he was unable to get drunk, as his metabolism was way more evolved than any other human, burning the alcohol as soon as it was digested, she changed her plan and tried to seduce him, which he allowed completely. It was until after he had fucked her silly that he told her that whatever she wanted of him, she was not going to get it.

He almost chuckled when he remember her reaction at those words, she immediately understood that he was onto her from the very start and she quickly got enraged at being the one that ended up fooled. She questioned why would he allow it to happen, at which he dryly replied that why would he not accept the advances of such a woman like her, and much to his amusement, it seemed as if her rage completely banished and was replaced by embarrassment.

It was until she calmed down that she spilled the beans, seeing that she had failed so there was no point in hiding anything anymore. He understood her reasons but he immediately told her how pathetic she was, he didn't cared about her hurt expression as he continued telling her that what happened, happened, there was nothing she could do to change that. And chasing after the mob was only going to end in her death or worse, her whole family's death, the mob is not a forgiving group.

But much to his annoyance, the girl's despaired expression irritated him enough that he ended up proposing her an apprenticeship under him. She immediately went wide-eyed and nodded furiously, after all, everybody in MI6 knows that officially, Derek is the strongest human in the world. She almost regretted that decision after six months of his training though, even if he was rarely there to watch over her, he always somehow knew if she lazed around instead of training, even if she begged, he would not relent the training, augmenting it every time she complained. But after four years of being under his wing, she knew that it was all worth it since right now she was the head of the MI6, and even if it annoyed her that she could not be around him as much as before, she was not going to disappoint him with the personal mission he trusted her with.

"Skipper…" He greeted her with a nod as he called her by her nickname, enjoying the twitch in her eyebrow that showed her displeasure for the way he always calls her, "I trust everyone's already waiting for us." He added as he kept walking towards the corridor.

Vanessa shook her head and immediately fell into step with her mentor and as she walked right beside Aleister, replied, "Yes Master, Lord Hamilton and General Hamilton are already there…" She then turned to look at the blackette and said with a smile, "Hello Al." The boy smiled back at her, returning the greeting.

Derek didn't replied as he continued walking until they finally arrived to a door, one would be surprised to see that the door that led to the most secretive room in all of the UK was a simple brown wooden door, but to reach this point, you still had to go through several security points and metal doors created to withstand a nuclear blast.

Aleister immediately walked in front of Derek and opened the door as he stepped aside to allow the silverette entrance. Derek walked inside with Vanessa and Aleister in tow and looked at the people present, three men discussing around a large circular table, he looked briefly at his grandfather Jonathan who nodded at him with a smile which he returned slightly. At the patriarch's side, a man around the age of fifty wearing a black military outfit, he had a patch covering his right eye, though, Derek knew that it did not hid an empty eye-socket, but rather an experimental glass that was supposedly able to increase one's sight and to allow night vision, he was Lewis Butland, Commander of the S.A.S. and Derek's mentor, the man nodded at Derek with a small smile which he returned. And right beside where Derek was taking his seat, was a tall black-haired male, he seemed to be around his early thirties, he was wearing a blue military uniform and the moment he saw Derek he immediately ruffled his silver locks with a wide smile, this man was Lance Hamilton, Derek's uncle, Jonathan's second son and NATO's Supreme Commander.

"Ah, son! Look at you all grown up!" Lance said to his nephew as he ruffled his silver hair and laughed wholeheartedly.

Derek just snorted and as he moved his head away, replied with an almost unnoticeable smirk, "I'm surprised to see you haven't killed yourself already, Uncle Lance."

Lance just laughed at the boy's jab but before anything more could be said, Jonathan spoke, "Now that we're all here, let us begin." He nodded at Vanessa who nodded back and walked to stand before the men sitting around the table. She turned her back on them and with a remote control, she turned on the screen placed before the table, showing the footage of a weapons deal being carried out in the middle of the nuclear affected zone Pripyat.

Derek immediately narrowed his blue eyes at the screen, surprised to see so many people there, walking around without any kind of protective gear, "These lads are either too stupid or suicidal to be walking around Pripyat without any gear." Lance said as he too narrowed his eyes.

"It doesn't really matter much if you're only there for a couple of hours, twelve hours at most without any protective gear." Lewis commented.

"I trust that you all read the dossier?…" Jonathan asked the three men sitting before him, to which they nodded so he continued, "As you all know, the group selling those weapons are part of the larger organization known as 'Novum', the man leading the exchange…" He pointed towards the screen where it now showed the photo of a black-haired male wearing a thick black coat, the coat had a small dove-shaped golden pin on its left chest-side and he had a golden ring with a white emerald on his left index finger, "André Moretti, Italian, twenty-eight years old, the only thing known of him is that he graduated from the University of Milan, majored in Arts, Music and Lyrics."

Derek raised an eyebrow as he commented, "A huge leap of profession between being an artist and being an arms dealer and conspirator."

Jonathan nodded as he said, "Indeed, other than that, there's nothing about him. According to the Italian Government he was born in Brescia to a fur merchant family, everyone's dead from his family and he apparently made his way in life through small-time jobs."

Lance looked intently at the picture and as he watched the ring on his finger, he commented, "At least we have one face confirmed from those terrorists."

"Yeah, but why expose yourself?…" Derek said as he massaged his chin and looking at the other three men, he added, "We all know that our friend here knew what he was doing, there is no chance that he didn't know we would be watching."

"True…" Derek's mentor, Lewis, validated his apprentice's words, "It is obvious that they are announcing their existence to us with this, the question is though, why?"

Everyone in the room was completely quiet, pondering on the possible reasons for such a secretive group to announce their moves so openly like this. That is until Vanessa whispered while she looked at the floor, "A dare?"

Everyone heard her though, as Derek repeated her words, "A dare?" He had his silver eyebrow raised a little, as he did not understood his apprentice's words.

Vanessa immediately snapped her head up after hearing the Hamilton heir speaking, a noticeable blush on her face when she realised that everyone's attention was on her, prompting her to stutter, "I… u-umm… I-I…"

Jonathan snorted a little before he said with some amusement slipping in his words, "Speak your mind, Jones."

Commander Jones shook her head and gulped a little, once she regained her wits, she looked back at the men in the room and explained her theory, "W-Well, for what I read in the dossier, the only information we have on Novum is that they are incredibly secretive, the only reason we even know about them is because of Ghosts accidently uncovering a plot of them…" She shied her gaze a little away from the two surviving Ghosts, she knows that Derek did not cared about it but Aleister was another thing, "However, I d-do think that that also made Novum realise that they weren't the only secretive group around."

The four men in the room narrowed their eyes at those words, intrigued by the female's theory, with Derek prompting his student, "Go on, Skipper."

Ignoring the nickname, she inhaled a little before she continued, "What I'm getting at is that maybe, this was a dare to you, they must know that there is a secretive group working behind the shadows, cooperating with the UN…" She looked at the eyes of the men there and once she saw that they were intently listening to her words, she continued, "As General Hamilton noted on his report, a group like Novum cannot have more than a dozen members, if they have been able to hide themselves for so long and so well, they have to have a very limited amount of members, people with enough political power to hide their tracks so well…" She then looked at the screen and displayed the image of Pripyat again before she added, "Ukraine is at war with Russia right now over Crimea, this type of thing going on inside their territory it's very hard to pull, more so in Pripyat since the city is monitored by many governments to keep an eye on the Chernobyl Plant to keep it stable."

Aleister then finished her theory when he caught on to what she was saying, "Meaning that whoever did it obviously had the connections to pull this off but more importantly, Novum knew that this was going to attract our attention."

Vanessa looked at the blackette and with a small smile, she responded, "Correct, due to the very same fact that something like this is almost impossible to pull unnoticed, they know that they will catch the eye of whatever secretive organization was pulling the strings behind the curtains."

The other four men in the room nodded at that theory, with Jonathan saying, "Excellent work Jones, there's no wonder why my grandson took you in as his apprentice…" Vanessa smiled a little as she nodded in thanks, enjoying the very small but honest smile her master was sending her, those were incredible rare to see so seeing that she made him smile at her with pride, made her heart flutter, "But for now, we won't respond, we must first confirm whether or not Marcel Murillo and Anton Mikhailov are part of Novum before we make our move." Jonathan then commented as he petted his chin.

"What are those two up to?" Derek asked his grandfather.

Jonathan looked at him as he answered, "Murillo's whereabouts are unknown, though, we do know that he is still in control of Chile, managing the current President from behind the shadows, for what Aleister and American undercover agents could gather, the Chilean government is pushing for a 'Confederation' of South American countries…" Jonathan then massaged his forehead as if to ease his headache before he added, "As for Mikhailov, he is still the head of the Russian Nationalist Party and unfortunately for us, civil war in Russia is all but imminent."

Derek sighed at that, something so grave as a civil war in such a powerful country like Russia meant nothing but trouble for the rest of the world. But stowing such things aside, Derek turned to look at the screen and inquired, "I guess you want me to chase this 'André Moretti'?"

"No…" Jonathan said as he shook his head. Seeing the confusion in his grandson's eyes, the Hamilton patriarch explained, "I already have Lewis assigned to that task, what I want from you is two things."

Derek raised his eyebrow when he questioned, "What?"

"One, I want you to be ready to be deployed in an assassination mission, once Lewis finds André, I'm sending you to take him out." Jonathan replied.

Derek nodded and said, "Understood, what else?"

The blackette Hamilton narrowed his eyes and replied, "I want you to shake the supernatural world."

Everyone in the room raised their eyebrows at that, they were surprised to hear such thing from the patriarch since messing with the supernatural world was something that the human governments tried not to do, not out of fear, but because it would be to troublesome to deal with the aftermath of such a thing.

Knowing this, the Hamilton heir narrowed his eyes at this grandfather and asked, "Why?"

Jonathan sighed as he leaned back on his seat before he answered, "There have been reports of increasing hostility between the three Biblical Factions and while we do not care about them, they are starting to fight in our cities, this past week alone we received confirmation of eleven human casualties and at least two-million pounds of damage in infrastructure."

Lance Hamilton chuckled at his father's words before he commented, "Seems to me that those birds are forgetting whose territory they're living on."

Jonathan nodded as he said, "Indeed, there have also been reports of yōkai messing around in Asia, Japan specifically, petty crimes mainly, car thefts, burglary, heck, there have been two reports of murder, one of kidnapping and one of rape by yōkai."

Aleister intervened the conversation when he questioned, "You want me to go to Japan and check that out?"

Jonathan shook his head in the negative as he explained, "No, I have a plan for the Yōkai Government over there so when the time comes, you and Derek will go to the Yōkai leader, for now, I want you to stay with Derek…" Aleister nodded and then Jonathan locked his gaze to Derek in order to say, "I want you, Derek, to remind them, the whole supernatural world, that this is OUR land, they have theirs, this is ours, remind them that we are not the weak race here."

Derek raised an eyebrow, he seems to understand what his grandfather was implying but wanting to receive confirmation for his theory, he inquired, "You want me to reveal my status as the Red Dragon Emperor?"

Jonathan smirked as he said, "Yes son, and go all out, show them your true power, but make sure to do it against someone important, preferably a noble from the Devils or a high ranking persona from the Fallen or the Angels, you have my permission to use any means necessary to fool one into attacking you."

Derek just smirked a little maniacally at that, releasing a little bit of bloodlust that made even Jonathan sweat at the pressure. They all know how much of a battle maniac the young Hamilton heir is and his grandfather releasing the leash that keeps him at bay made them subconsciously gulp, pitying whoever was chosen to be his victim.

"Consider it done, Pops." Derek replied, smirk still in place.

Jonathan just sighed tiredly at that smirk, hoping that his grandson has enough restraint to not blow up an entire country, like that one time, "Now, with the Novum topic done for now, there is another thing that I want to show you…" He nodded at Vanessa who immediately understood and after pressing some buttons in the remote, a set of images starting playing in a slideshow. The images showed what it seemed to be a galaxy, which as each image passed, zoomed into an specific spot, "This, gentlemen, is the Andromeda Galaxy, the closest galaxy to ours, it is also the most studied galaxy besides ours."

They all nodded, though, they were confused, a confusion made known by Lewis, "We know that, sir, but why is it important?"

"You'll see in the next video that our associates caught through their telescope." Jonathan said as he nodded at Vanessa who nodded back and pressed a button on her remote.

Everyone locked their eyes at the screen as it started playing a black and white clip, there were only very blurry images of what the men could tell were planets. Everything seemed to be normal until they were shocked when a small light started traveling at fast speeds towards a planet, they would have thought that it was a mere meteor but the dozens of even smaller lights traveling beside the larger light indicated that it was no mere space rock.

"Holy shit…" Aleister whispered what was on everyone's mind, adding, "Y-You're not telling us that…"

"That's exactly what I'm telling you…" Jonathan said and after he looked at the men who were all shocked, even Derek, added, "It appears that we may have found alien life."

"No fricking way…" Derek muttered as he stared shelled shock at the video which was playing over and over again. There was no mistake, there was no other logical explanation at the well-formed objects traveling towards the planet, since everyone in the room belonged to the military they are able to know a military formation when they see one.

"You don't believe it?" Jonathan asked his grandson with a small smirk. He knows very well that his grandson is actually a huge space enthusiast, very few people knew that, but one of Derek's dreams was to travel to space.

Derek kept his eyes locked at the screen as he replied, "Of course I do, thinking that there is no life out there is as stupid as thinking that the earth is flat…" He looked at the Hamilton patriarch and added, "The problem is that the Universe is immense, I doubt even Great Red himself knows where it begins and where it ends, the fact that we managed to catch this, is troubling."

Jonathan smiled a little as he saw his grandson catching up to what he wanted them to see, but the rest was confused, so Vanessa asked her mentor, "Why is it troubling, Master?"

Derek sighed before he replied, "If those lights are what we think they are, then we can all tell that that is a military formation, right?…" Everyone nodded at him, prompting Derek to continue, "Well, it should be almost impossible that a civilization encounters another, after all, even getting to the moon takes about three days, imagine what it would take to get to another system?"

They nodded at that, but they were still confused, so Aleister questioned, "I understand but, I'm still not getting the point."

Derek sighed before he asked, "There is one thing besides mating and eating that every species shares, what do you think that is?"

Lance, Lewis, Aleister and Vanessa narrowed their eyes at those words, confused as they did not understood a thing, that is until Vanessa gasped before she said, "The desire to expand…"

Derek nodded at her words as he commented, "Correct, meaning that if we are able to see this…" He trailed off as his second in command finished.

"They are expanding." Aleister had his eyes narrowed at the video, shocked at this discovery.

Everyone in the room stayed silent for a while until Jonathan said, "There's no point in worrying about this for now, Andromeda is millions of years away and we already have our special team watching the galaxy closely, right now we need to focus on what's happening in our planet…" Everyone nodded at that and as Jonathan stood up, he fixed his suit and ordered, "Then there's nothing more to discuss for now, everyone knows their job, we will meet again in a couple of months."

Everyone nodded at that and stood up from their seats, with the men gathered sharing some words before they all started going their separate ways, "Derek…" Jonathan called his grandson who nodded at him to continue, "Can you go and pick up your sister and cousin? I was supposed to do it but I must go to Buckingham Palace, plus, the two are eager to see you."

Derek just sighed as he relented, "Alright, where are they?"

"Boxpark…" Jonathan said as he started walking out of the room, two officers immediately appearing by his side when he added, "Go and spend some time with them, with your grandmother too, she misses you a lot, tomorrow you're visiting my cousin and your cousins."

Derek just nodded as he let out a tired sigh, he hated this thing, he wasn't a family guy in the slightest, but he had no choice, "I'll go and visit some friends before I go to Thames House to deliver my report on Murillo, so I'll see you tomorrow to take you to Buckingham." Aleister said as he patted Derek's back, his ever present smile shining brightly.

Derek just snorted at his laidback friend before he replied, "Yeah, yeah, get out of here already…" Aleister did not wasted any time and immediately took off, vacations in this place were rare after all. Derek turned to look at the last person in the room, the lone female who stood there as she avoided his gaze, seemingly waiting for him to leave, " _Sigh_ … I'll come by tomorrow to take you out Skipper, so be ready." He left the room then, not waiting for a reply, he had an image to uphold after all.

Vanessa snapped her head up at those words, she had a stunned look on her face as she finally registered what her Master said, she after all wanted to spend time with him since it's been almost two years since they last talked in person, so she couldn't hold herself when she claimed rather loudly, "Yes!" Immediately blushing and straighten herself out when she saw the guards posted on the door turning to look at her weirdly, she just cleared her throat and left the room without looking back, an almost unnoticeable dreamy glint shining in her eyes, almost.

* * *

" _Mou…_ Emily! I want to go home!" A beautiful black-haired female whined to her companions. The female in question has long black hair with one braid tied by a pink bow, she has piercing violet eyes and a face that clearly belongs to royalty. She was wearing a school uniform consisting of a red blazer on top of a white buttoned shirt, a medium sized white skirt that reach below her knees, long black sucks that reach above the knee and brown dress shoes.

She was sitting alongside her Academy friends, five other females wearing the same uniform, with the one addressed saying, "Well what do you want me to do, Alice!? Grandpa is supposed to pick us up, we can only wait." The one named Emily responded to her cousin Alice. Emily was a beautiful black-haired female, her hair as long as her cousin's but fixed in a princess-styled cut, her skin was a little paler than that of Alice's and her eyes were a piercing green colour, she was also wearing the same outfit than the other girls and overall, she looked like a slightly older version of Alice Hamilton.

Alice pouted and as she sank on her seat, whined, " _Hmpfh…_ What could Grandpa be doing that is taking him so long!?"

The other females giggled at their friend, but were interrupted when a masculine voice said, "Even after all these years, you two are still so fucking loud."

The group of girls immediately turned to berate the idiot that dared to say that to them, but found themselves with their breaths stolen when they saw the unworldly handsomeness of the male who spoke. A tall, slightly muscular young man wearing black sneakers, marine blue jeans, a red shirt with a black jacket over it, everyone in the mall seemed to stop to bask in the young man's perfect face with those piercing dark-blue eyes and that fantastic dark-silver hair.

 _'W-Wait… silver hair!?…'_ Both Emily and Alice thought at the same time before they widened their eyes once their brain placed the familiar face, with Alice jumping from her seat with such speeds that she created a gust of wind as she raced towards the handsome male, immediately burying herself in his chest as she hugged him with all her life.

"D-Derek!" Alice screamed as she buried her face into her brother's chest, she was crying as she tried to practically melt her body with Derek's. She missed him so much, he was her brother, her saviour, her knight in shining armour, the most important person in her life.

The Hamilton heir looked down at the girl hugging him and sighed as he gently hugged her back, with his ever icy-blue eyes actually softening a little as he greeted, "Hello Ali…" He then looked at his cousin who was still shocked and replied with the same tone, "Em…" He looked at the girls present too and added, "Girls."

Emily shook her head after she heard the voice of her cousin and immediately mimicked Alice when she too blurred out of sight to appear inside Derek's arms, hugging both him and Alice as she said, "M-My god… w-we didn't know y-you were here!" She looked straight at those piercing blue eyes that have made her think of him in a not so family-friendly way some times before.

Derek gently released the embrace as he started to feel uncomfortable with all the stares they were receiving. Alice didn't wanted to let go but she relented when she remembered that her brother disliked these things a lot. But focusing again on his sister and cousin, he replied as he sat on a free chair right next to a blushing teenager, "I arrived some hours ago, I was on a meeting with the Old Man, he told me that he was supposed to pick you girls up but he had an urgent business to attend to, so here I am." He said with his dead tone as he accepted a drink from one of the shaky girls sitting at the table with him.

Alice and Emily frowned at that, they were hoping that he had come to see how they were doing but it seems that Derek was still the same cold and cunning man they remember. But their frown was also due to the knowledge of said meeting, they didn't know what was going on but they know that their uncle Lance was in London too, with Derek here as well, they could tell that trouble was brewing.

Derek finished the drink and stood up from his seat, looking at the two Hamilton girls as he said, "Get your stuff and let's go, a crowd is starting to gather…" They turned to look around and saw that indeed many people were surrounding them, recognising Derek immediately, "Farewell girls." He then said to the other girls sitting at the table who bid him goodbye with dreamy sighs.

Both Alice and Emily quickly grabbed their bags and made their way towards their relative, who did not waited for them as he made his way towards the car, "This wouldn't have happened if you weren't so damn cool and hot, you know, De-r-ek?" Emily whispered at his ear as she hugged him from behind, wrapping her arms around his neck while purposefully pressing her body on his.

Emily was then surprised when instead of being thrown away by an angry Derek, he looked at her over his shoulder and with a sexy smirk, he replied, "Careful Em, I'm not one that's minds incest…" Emily immediately developed a furious blush and started stuttering, with Derek adding as he sneakily pinched her stomach, "Don't heat the water if you're not going to take a shower."

Emily yelped when she felt the pinch and immediately jumped away from her cousin, wearing a furious blush while rubbing her thighs together in order to calm that damn tingling, _'D-Damn… h-he's so good…'_ She though while subconsciously licking her lips as she shook her head and fell into step with him again.

While this exchange between cousins was happening, Alice was pouting childishly as she stared at her brother with anger and her cousin with jealousy, "Not fair." She muttered as she continued walking.

They soon reached the car and the three Hamilton members got in, with Derek starting the vehicle and driving it out of the car park, "Is Grandma at home or is she out?" He inquired.

Alice, who was sitting on the back seat, replied, "Dunno, but I would guess that she's already there waiting for you, I doubt Grandpa didn't told her about you being here."

Derek nodded and kept his focus on the road as Emily then asked, "For h-how long are you staying h-here, Dek?" She was a little cooler now but she could still feel her arousal present in the form of her slightly pink cheeks.

Derek just sighed before he replied, "Four days tops."

Alice immediately had her eyes tearing up as she asked, "S-So soon!? W-Why!?"

Derek just sighed as he looked at his sister through the rear-view mirror, he knows that she misses him greatly, after all, she too lost her parents twelve years ago and ever since a certain event occurred, she became incredibly clingy to him. He could understand her sadness since it has been two years since she last saw him and it was only for a day, before that, she hadn't seen him since the day of their parents' funeral.

"I can't just take extended leaves from the University, Alice, I'm also part of the football club of the institution and they're a semi-pro team, I have a contract to fulfil." Derek replied with a soft tone, she was the only one he has ever had a soft spot for, even if he had no trouble with killing her if she ever were to go against him.

Alice just looked down and stayed quiet, she understood his reasons but that didn't meant she like it, so she just sighed sadly as she tightened her grip on her skirt, forcing her tears back into her eyes.

Emily frowned at this, she knows well why Derek is the way he is, after all, every member of the royal family of the UK know what their relative truly was, the ones closest to him know the reality of what happened the day her Uncle James and Aunt Elena, Derek and Alice's parents, died, so she could understand why he is the way he is.

But still, Derek could at least try to be more sensitive with his words, but he seems to enjoy being an asshole and even if she hated to admit, it fits his persona quite well, "Hey don't be down, Ali! We're going to have him all to ourselves for these four days!…" Emily said to her cousin as she tried to cheer the blackette up, which it worked as Alice did smiled a little when Emily added while keeping her eyes locked to her male cousin, "We're going to go out to party! We're going to the movies! The fair! Heck! We should go and visit Irin…" Emily stopped there though, as she placed her finger on her lips and said after a sigh, "Damn, I forgot she's gone."

Derek raised an eyebrow at that, keeping his eyes on the road as he questioned, "Irina's gone?"

Alice nodded as she replied, "Yup, Iri left London with her family two years after you left, we don't know where she is but we do talk over the mobile once in a while." She let out a sad sigh at that, she missed her bubbly friend.

Derek nodded at that with Emily adding while playfully hitting him on the shoulder, "She hates you, you know?" She had an eyebrow raised and an amused smirk on her face.

"Why wouldn't she?…" Alice added and after she crossed her arms below her bust, she continued with a humph, "He completely abandoned her, not just her, everyone, not even a damn word…" She ended up saying the last bit almost under her breath, making it seem as if she was speaking about herself.

Derek just looked at the girl through the rear-view mirror again and sighed, it really hurt him to see his sister like this, he knows she feels betrayed and forgotten by him but she just doesn't realises that everything he's doing is for her as well. He is a powerful man with powerful enemies, the only reason why nobody has tried to use a family member of his as bait for him is because everyone, even his family themselves, knows that he has no quarrels with killing them if it was necessary, it was brutal and not cool at all he knows, but it's because of that that they are safe.

"You should really look for her and at least tell her that you're fine, Dek…" Emily then commented as she started playing with her hair, "Irina was devastated when you disappeared, she kept crying and saying that how was it possible that her best friend just up and left without a word."

Derek just snorted before he replied, "I don't have to explain anything to anyone, Em, I did what I did for a good reason, I don't need you to be ok with it…" The two girls flinched at his coldness but he ignored that to finish, "Plus, Irina is a stubborn girl, fuck, she's the most stubborn person I have ever met, it won't be long before she finds me and tries to kill me for leaving."

Despise his harsh words, both girls giggled at that, knowing how stubborn Irina is as she herself had proclaimed that she will never stop looking for her best friend in order to kiss him and kill him soon after, he did broke her heart after all.

With that, the Hamilton relatives remained quiet as they sank into their own thoughts, with Derek solely focused on driving towards his grandfather's mansion, knowing that the minute he gets there, he's gonna get doted over by his grandmother.

* * *

"So…" Rias asked as she sat on her chair at the ORC clubroom. She was currently accompanied by Akeno, Tsubasa, Sona, Tsubaki, Seekvaria and her {Queen} Alivian, she has been itching to squeeze every detail she could from the Agares heiress regarding the man she has a crush on, Derek Hamilton, knowing that the beautiful blonde heiress was the closest person to Derek, "How do you think he's going to take the marriage arrangement?" Rias questioned with an inquisitive gaze.

Seekvaria sipped her tea before she let out a small snort and while looking at Tsubasa, she said, "Tsubasa…" The bluenette nodded at her, prompting the Agares to continue, "What did Derek do when you asked him to be your boyfriend?"

Everyone but Tsubasa was confused by those words, but the bluenette actually blushed madly at the question. The Yura girl gulped hard and knowing that she had to answer, she gathered her wits and replied, "W-Well… he… u-umm… _gulp_ … he just s-shrugged and… k-kept… pounding me into the bed…" She shrunk in her seat, completely overwhelmed by her embarrassment.

Seekvaria giggled while the other females present blushed at the bluenette's words, not able to rid their minds from the image of a naked Derek pounding Tsubasa harshly, almost impossible to stop their imagination from placing themselves in the bluenette's place. Seekvaria smirked at their expressions before she answered Rias' question with a shrug, "He will probably won't give a damn, he will just whine a little before he just does as I want."

That got the girls' eyebrows to raise a little, they know that Derek's not one to do as told and the way he behaves made it really hard for them to think of him as the whipped boyfriend who does as his girlfriend wants, so pointing this out, Akeno questioned, "B-But… he never listens t-to anyone, I think he only listens to his coach and his grandfather."

Rias then added, "You yourself told us that he hates to be ordered around, why would he just do as you want?"

"Because he loves me…" That simple answer came from an incredibly confident Seekvaria who just smiled lovingly at the memory of his beloved. The Agares saw the confused expressions of the ladies in the room, so she explained, "Even if he has never said those words to me, hell, I'm pretty sure I'll never get to see the day he utters those words, Derek still loves me, he shows it with his actions. Ultimately, he just wants me to be happy, I allow him to have his Harem, not that I could even stop him though, but he knows that I do get jealous so that's why if he truly cares for you, he will do whatever you want just to keep you happy, I want to marry him, he will marry me as well just so I get my wish, simple as that."

That really shocked the ladies, even Tsubasa a little, she knows that her boyfriend is very cold to almost everyone but those he truly cares for, he does treat her to anything she wants and he has even watched anime with her a couple of times, even though she knows he hates it, he sits through it just to please her.

But to the others, that just made the silverette Casanova more of an enigma, he was just so confusing, "Satan, that guy is so fricking confusing…" Rias muttered annoyed before she added, "He's as cold as ice but it seems that he's also caring."

Seekvaria laughed a little loudly at this, she understood why Derek frustrated many people since his persona was quite bipolar, or so people think, he may soften his demeanour to those he cares for but as she stated before, Derek was a soldier through and through, "You don't understand him because you don't know his story, heck, I don't even know ALL of it, I know most because I was there with him to see it, but he has a lot of secrets. Think of him as a woman, you don't understand women, you just accept us."

That made every girl in the room nod and hum in understanding, knowing that the female sex is just as much of an enigma as the silverette, "True that." Tsubasa muttered as she sipped her tea.

"Speaking of which…" Sona then said and after she fixed her position on the couch, continued, "How did you two met?"

Every girl in the room immediately peaked their ears at that, they have been wanting to know how she managed to change such complicated man and Seekvaria knowing that this question would come eventually, just smirked as she responded, "Well, you know that his grandfather has a contract with my father, right?…" Everyone nodded at that, prompting the blonde to continue, "Well, what you might not know is that my father sees Jonathan as a brother, those two are best friends, so when I was born, my father immediately took me to the Hamilton household, where he made Jonathan and Eleanor my godparents…" She smiled at the memory of her godparents, she greatly cherishes them both, "Derek was already alive, two years old, but I didn't properly met him until my father took me to a vacation with the Hamiltons when I was six…"

 _Flashback_

 _"Daddy, where are we?" A little blonde girl questioned her father as her mother held her hand, the little girl was wearing a blue dress with white flowers adorning the fabric. The six year old was currently walking through a beach alongside her parents, who were wearing casual clothes as well._

 _The questioned man turned down to look at his daughter and answered, "Well my princess, we are in the human world."_

 _Little Seekvaria immediately widened her eyes at that, she has always wanted to see the human world for as long as she could remember. She was a very smart girl, she loves books, she reads one every single day and once she read about the human world, she was immediately fascinated by what she read, a world so vast and full of people, of all colours and sizes, giant cities, mega structures, so much to see, she was ecstatic._

 _"Really!?…" Seekvaria declared with a huge smile and after she jumped to her father's arms, she asked, "I've always wanted to see the human world!… but… what are we doing here?"_

 _It was her mother the one that answered when she said while caressing the little girl's head, "We're here on a vacation, sweetheart."_

 _Solomon then added, "We came here so that you could meet our human cousins."_

 _Seekvaria tilted her head in confusion, before she remembered something so said, "You mean the… umm… Ham… umm…"_

 _Solomon chuckled before he finished the little girl's sentence, "Hamilton, my princess, that's their name."_

 _Seekvaria beamed as she questioned, "Are they strong!?" She was a pure blooded devil, so even if she was a child, she could not stop her inherited fascination with strong individuals._

 _Aelia Agares, her mother, said without a hitch, "Very strong, the strongest human family there is."_

 _Seekvaria beamed even more and finally after more walking, she saw her father and mother smile at the distance, where two male adults, two female adults and two young kids were enjoying the breeze of the shore._

 _"Ah! Family! I see you're already having fun!" Solomon said with a huge smile as he and his family approached the Hamiltons._

 _Everyone in the Hamilton family turned to look at the man and the adults smiled at him, with the older male standing up to greet the Agares family, "Ah! Solomon, Aelia and little Seekvaria, come, join us."_

 _The Agares did as told and after they took their place on the large sheet placed over the sand, they greeted everyone, with Solomon saying to Seekvaria, "Princess, you remember those two?…" He pointed at the older black-haired man, who despite his age, was very handsome, he was sitting next to a beautiful brown-haired woman who just like the man, did not seemed very old, maybe in her mid or late forties. Seekvaria did not recognized them, so after she shook her head in no, her father said, "I didn't think so, they are Jonathan and Eleanor, your godparents."_

 _Little Seekvaria widened her eyes at that, asking, "R-Really!?"_

 _Jonathan just chuckled as he nodded, with Eleanor smiling lovingly at the little girl and as she opened her arms wide, she said, "Really darling, we saw you when you were just a little baby."_

 _Seekvaria giggled as she ran towards the brunette's arms and crashed her body on Eleanor, who hugged her goddaughter and cooed her, "Seekvaria…" The girl turned to look at her godmother when Eleanor said, "This is my son and her wife, James and Elena." She pointed at the younger couple sitting by their side._

 _James was an incredibly handsome man, he had black hair and piercing green eyes, his face was kind but even Seekvaria could tell that he held power and respect, he seemed to be on his late twenties and had an arm around his wife. Elena was a real beauty, Seekvaria thought she was one of the most beautiful women she has ever seen, her hair was a vibrant auburn colour that contrasted her blue eyes incredibly, she had a beautiful body with dazzling creamy skin. Elena was smiling kindly at the little girl as she said, "Hello little Seekvaria, you're so cute!" The redhead squealed as she pinched the little girl's cheeks._

 _Seekvaria smiled shyly as she blushed in embarrassment, she didn't had many contact with people since she was royalty, so her parents tended to keep her isolated to their house most of the time, but she has heard her family talk about these people, they were her human cousins apparently, "H-Hello." Seekvaria whispered coyly as she looked down a little._

 _Everyone chuckled at the little girl's demeanour but just before Seekvaria could pout, she felt a little hand grabbing hers to shake it. She turned around to see who held her hand and was surprised to see an even smaller girl than her, she had black hair and mesmerising violet eyes. The little girl had a confused expression on her face as she asked, "Who you?"_

 _The woman named Elena picked the little girl up and placed her on her lap before she answered, "She's Seekvaria, my darling, she's your cousin."_

 _The little girl smiled at that and as she got out of her mother's grip, she held Seekvaria's hand and said, "I am Alice!…" Seekvaria smiled at the girl but before she could reply, the girl named Alice dragged her away from the adults while claiming, "Come! I'll introduce you to Big Brother!"_

 _The adults chuckled at the little girls as they ran towards a boy who laid on the sand with his eyes closed, "The ever lone wolf, huh?" Aelia said while she looked at the silver-haired boy who so far hadn't paid any attention to them._

 _James sighed at that while his wife replied, "Yes, we've tried to make him a little more talkative but…" Elena sighed sadly as she finished, "He's just so… reserved."_

 _"Honey, that's just the way he is, there's nothing wrong with that." James said with a small snort as his wife pouted cutely at that, mumbling something about wanting a momma's boy, making everyone there chuckle at the woman's giddiness._

 _"That's the girl you wanted my son to have a contract with, right?" James then question Solomon._

 _Solomon smiled a little and replied while he watched his daughter, "Yes James, my little Seekvaria is quite smart and I have a feeling that she could be an excellent partner for Derek." Everyone nodded at that before they started chatting about mundane things._

 _Meanwhile, the two little children reached the boy, with Alice saying, "Bro! Bro! Bro!…" The little boy known as Derek Hamilton half-opened his right eye to stare at his sister, "Look! She's our cousin! Sek… umm… Ske… mm…" Alice pointed at the blonde while she struggled with her complicated name._

 _Seekvaria chuckled at Alice before she introduced herself, "Seekvaria, my name is Seekvaria Agares."_

 _Derek looked at the blonde for some seconds, his deep blue eyes made Seekvaria squirm under their stare as if he was staring right into her soul. Derek exhaled and as he closed his eye again, he replied, "Name's Derek, the pleasure's all yours."_

 _Alice chuckled at his brother's words, even if she didn't understand them, but she would laugh at everything her brother says, she loved him dearly of course. Seekvaria twitched her eyebrow in irritation, she didn't know why that simple jab managed to rile her up so much but at that very moment, she realised one thing about the boy, 'He's a total meanie…'_

 _End Flashback_

Seekvaria laughed wholeheartedly after she finished her tale, she didn't remember her first thought of Derek when they first met until now, "Even after all these years, Derek is still a total 'meanie'… hahaha…" She said with a childish voice, mocking herself.

Everyone in the room just sweat-dropped at that, finding it amusing that even in his childhood Derek was still such a fricking dick, "Well, at least he's consistent." Tsubasa muttered with a chuckle, she didn't know much about Seekvaria and Derek's relationship, neither does she knows much about Derek's childhood as they still haven't got there just yet.

Seekvaria just chuckled while she nodded at the girl with whom she shares her lover, she knows that everyone here was eager to hear more about Derek, but she had some things to do first so she stood up and said, "I'm sorry, I know you want to know more about me and Derek, but there are some things I need to do, tomorrow I'll tell you the rest of the story."

Rias raised her eyebrow and as she stowed her disappointment, she questioned, "I thought you were here on a… vacation."

Seekvaria smirked as she replied, "True, but Derek wants to open a nightclub here in Luxembourg, since he was called to London and is busy for now, he asked me to look for a good place to set it up."

Everyone but Tsubasa were surprised at that, with Akeno saying, "I didn't know that Derek had an interest in such things."

Seekvaria just shrugged as she replied, "Clubs are the best place to know powerful people, if your club hits the calibre of course, but it is also a good place to get dirt on your enemies…" The girls widened their eyes at that as Seekvaria added, "Derek's a cunning bastard, girls, remember to not anger him, ever."

Everyone nodded at that, with Rias saying as she stood up and walked towards her fellow heiress, "I actually know a good place, come, I'll show you."

Seekvaria nodded and with that, everyone left the ORC clubroom to go about their business, with the Sitri and the Gremory groups eager to hear more about the silver-haired enigma known as Derek Hamilton.

* * *

"Finally!" Emily said with a relieved sigh as she got out of the car. He and her cousins have finally arrived to their family's estate after a very long drive thanks to London's unending traffic.

"Yes!…" Alice beamed and once she grabbed her stuff from the car, she quickly grabbed Derek's arm and started pushing him towards the house, "Come on, Bro! I'm sure granny is dying to see you!" She claimed with a huge smile on her beautiful face.

Derek just sighed at that, already knowing that he was going to be smothered by the Hamilton matriarch the moment she lays eyes on him. He just nodded slightly at the surprised servants who looked at him as if they were looking at a ghost.

"Derek!…" A feminine voice suddenly rang throughout the mansion's grand room, where a beautiful mature woman came running down the stairs the moment she heard her granddaughters' voice. Knowing that her beloved grandson was here made her immediately forget everything she was doing in order to wait for him, "Oh dear god!…" Eleanor whispered as she wasted no time and locked the silverette in a bone crushing hug, "My baby, look at you, so handsome and powerful." She said as she sobbed a little, it has been too long since she laid eyes on her adoptive grandson.

Derek just sighed tiredly as he gently hugged the woman, he will never admit it, to anyone, heck, not even to himself, but he would be lost without this woman, she was the one that pulled him through the shock of his parents' deaths, "Hello grandmother." He whispered as he started caressing the sobbing woman on her head.

Emily and Alice just smiled with some tears forming in their eyes as they watched their grandmother, they knew how hard Eleanor took Derek's disappearance, the woman spent almost every day looking at the estate's main gates through the window as if waiting for Derek to walk through them once again, but sadly for the woman, it took twelve years for that to happen.

Eleanor finally stopped sobbing and gently released the hug with the Hamilton heir, she grabbed the boy's face gently by his cheeks with both hands and still with some tears in her eyes, she said, "My god, Derek, don't ever disappear like that again."

Derek just sighed again as he stared at his grandmother's eyes, he knew he could soothe her distress with nice words, but that was not his personality, "I can't promise that, you know it." He said as he stepped back, not comfortable with the mushy scene.

Eleanor just sighed sadly as she looked at her beloved grandson with sorrowful eyes, she knows that he is broken, she knows that he is a mess, she knows that he entered the S.A.S. forces just so that he could vent his power as the Red Dragon Emperor, but damn did it killed her to see him like that.

But this was not a time to dwell in such things, so Eleanor breathed in and after she wiped her remaining tears, she said, "Alice, Emily, go and change your clothes…" She looked at the two girls who nodded before she looked back at Derek to say, "I'm sure Derek is hungry and we're going to eat as a family today, Jonathan and Lance are already in the dining room."

Derek nodded at that as he walked with her towards the dining room, where he saw his grandfather and uncle already chatting about random things, "I thought you were busy with whatever you were doing with Aunt Elizabeth." He questioned his grandfather as he sat on the chair next to him.

Jonathan snorted before he replied, "I was, but your grandmother… convinced… me to come here and celebrate your arrival."

Lance laughed wholeheartedly before he commented, "I was actually there to hear mom threatening dad!"

"Lance, dear…" The too sweetly voice of one Eleanor Hamilton said to her son as she looked at him with a dangerous loving expression, "Do you want to eat with the dogs?"

Lance immediately shut his trap, he knew that his mother could get incredibly vicious if she so wishes too, she is the matriarch of the most powerful family in the world after all, "N-No, mom." He replied with a nervous chuckle.

Right after that, Alice and Emily walked into the dining room and took their seats, with Derek asking his uncle, "Where's John?"

At that moment, the servants brought their food and after everyone gave them their thanks, Lance replied, "He's in France right now, enjoying his honeymoon."

Eleanor cleaned her mouth to add, "Yes, such a shame you weren't there for the wedding, it was magnificent." She let out a dreamy sigh at the thought.

Derek just shrugged as he replied, "Yeah well, I was busy levelling Somalia."

Everyone in the room froze at that, with Eleanor looking down sadly at those words, Alice and Emily didn't understood well but seeing the remorseful look of their uncle told them most of what they needed to know. It was Jonathan the one that broke the tense atmosphere when he said after biting his beef, "Well, you better not missing your wedding, otherwise Seekvaria will kill you." He smirked at the shocked faces of everyone but Derek.

"W-What!?" Alice screamed along with Emily.

"Darling, w-what are you saying?" Eleanor questioned her husband, completely shelled shocked alongside her son.

Derek however, just sighed tiredly as he asked, "For fuck's sakes, she didn't gave up, did she?"

Jonathan chuckled and after sipping his wine, he replied, "No son, she was quite insistent so both Solomon and I agreed, you're officially engaged to Seekvaria Agares."

Everyone but Derek were shocked at that, with the silverette massaging his temples as he muttered, "I guess you really want the supernatural world to know that we rule the planet…" He looked at his grandfather and with a smirk, he added, "After all, why else would a devil heiress marry a human? Other than to send a message that is."

Jonathan just laughed haughtily as he looked at his grandson, he loved the boy, he was even more cunning than him, that's why Jonathan bet everything on him, "You would be correct, as usual." He replied with a smirk of his own.

"W-Wait!…" Emily suddenly screamed, attracting everyone's attention to her as she said, "You're not mad for being placed into a forced marriage!?" She questioned her cousin, unable to understand his calmness at the situation.

Derek just shrugged and after he took a bite of his beef, replied, "You should already know that I cannot be forced into anything, after all, I am the strongest human being alive…" He let out a little bit of his aura which immediately made everyone but Jonathan sweat and once his point was understood, he added, "If Seek wants to get married, who am I to deny her? That way she'll stop nagging me about it."

The adults smirked a little at those words, they were some of the few who understood what he really meant, which was that he loves Seekvaria and he would do whatever it is that makes her happy, but Derek being Derek refused to acknowledge such thing, which made them both frustrated and sad.

Eleanor chuckled and with an all too sweet smile, she asked, "If you agree, that means that you are going to stop _playing_ around, right sweetie?" She had a threatening vibe that could make anyone sweat and do as she pleased.

Unfortunately for her, Derek was a dragon, the peak of the food chain, and he did not shied away as he answered with a shrug, "Seek knows what she's getting into, I'm not going to stop seeing other girls…" He saw her grandmother glaring at him angrily, but not caring, he continued, "If she wants to have a 'one-girl' guy than she should look the other way, I am not going to change, she knows that, if she wants to marry me she's going to have to deal with it, I have never lied to her once, she knows it all."

Everyone but Eleanor and Derek remained silent, nervously watching the staring contest that increased when Eleanor said to her grandson through gritted teeth, "How would you feel if she marries you and goes out there to sleep around with any man she wants!?"

Derek shocked them all when he replied with incredible honesty, "I don't give a fuck, she can fuck all of her servants for all I care, I'm not a hypocrite, I don't feel jealousy, she can walk away anytime she wants, I will still be always looking after her because make no mistake, I will even make the UK burn to the ground if you ever try to do something to her."

The room was incredibly tense at that, mainly because everyone knew that he was not joking. Derek cares for them, they know that, but they also know that he is a fucking god, he was known by the big shots in the governments as the 'Human God' after all, everyone respected him and feared him, even Jonathan, that's why he never lies to his grandson because he knows that the consequences could be disastrous. The thing is, even if he cared for them, he would not hesitate even for a second to thrust a sword through their hearts if he has to, he was subjected to the brutal training of the S.A.S. so even if the person he loves the most was the one in his way, he would not dwell in kinship and deliver the killing shot without remorse, that's how broken and brutal this man is.

Eleanor suddenly stood up and walked around the table, stopping right next to Derek and looking him straight in the eyes with a scrutinizing gaze. Everyone was tense, not knowing what the scary Hamilton matriarch would do, until she shocked them all when she tenderly grabbed the silverette's head and hugged him tight to her stomach, stroking is hair as she said lovingly, "You haven't changed at all, you're still my baby." She knows he understood what she meant.

Derek just sighed and after releasing himself from the hug, he grabbed the woman's plate and placed it on the seat next to him, where Eleanor now sat. Jonathan continued eating and after, he said, "With that out of the way, I heard that you received a call from some professional clubs." He didn't need to speak about the marriage anymore as it was no longer his business, but he wanted to know how his grandson took the fact that big football clubs were after him, after all, Derek's biggest dream was to become a professional footballer.

Everyone was surprised at that, with Alice chirping excitedly, "Really!? Big brother is soooo cooool!"

Derek couldn't help but smile a little at his sister, he loved her beyond anything in this world, even if he couldn't admit it, "Yeah, according to the Academy, Milan, Chelsea, Man City, Real Madrid, Bayern and Barcelona made huge offers for me…" Fuck, how it hurts to know that you have the chance to do what you love but this cursed life has other plans for you, "But I'm having problems coming up with a way to stop the Academy from selling me, they can do that and the money they're offering is huge, it will help the Academy a lot."

The mood suddenly fell at those words, it hurt them to see their relative not able to make his dream come true. They all know that the boy has the potential to be the top player around but he was needed elsewhere, "How much are they offering?" Jonathan asked, holding back his disappointment in himself for not being able to allow his grandson his dream.

Derek sighed and after some moments, he replied, "Bayern and Barcelona are offering less than two million, Chelsea and Real Madrid are offering less than six million, Milan made an offer of fifteen million, knowing that I'm a fan of the club…" He sipped his beverage and finished, "It is Man City's offer the one that's making the Academy giddy, they offered fifty million and according to the Coach, there's talk that PSG will match that offer."

Jonathan sighed and after he thanked the maid that took his plate, he said, "I will send seventy million pounds to your Academy under the condition that you're not to be sold."

Derek nodded at that, he was a little relieved that the situation was averted since the Academy owns his card as a footballer, they had the possibility to sell him as any other player to the highest bidder and such offers were incredibly hard to resist, even if in nowadays football fifty million was no longer a large sum, it was still huge for a middle-class Academy.

With that, everyone started chatting about random things, asking Derek about his life and so on. He could feel the sad gaze of his sister though, probably sad that she was not being paid attention by him, so even if it made him sigh tiredly, he was going to make sure to spend some time with Alice, just so that she knows how important she is to him.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, there ya lads go. Now, before some of you start losing your shit for the alien stuff in this chapter, though I have no idea why would some get mad over aliens when they're reading a story about dragons and freaking devils, know that there will NOT be an alien invasion or anything the like, there's a reason I included that, but you'll have to be patient to see what it is. With that cleared, hope you enjoyed, comment and cheers!**


	5. Opening (Part 2)

**A/N: Yo fellas waddup!**

 **I have posted some pics of how the OCs from this story look, I know they're cheesy as fuck but I used the best site to make characters that I could find since I have zero talent for drawing, I just wanted you guys to have a small idea of how they look, so if you want to check them out, go to my profile and head to the deviantart link posted there, if the link does not appears, just search me in the site as 'dereksly' and the pics should show. Honestly, I don't know how the site works so if it still does not shows, send me a PM if you can help me with it.**

 **There are two lemons in this one, one long and another short, as usual, warnings are there if you want to skip it.**

 **Don't know what else to say, so let's get to it.**

"Derek" - Normal Speech.

 _'Derek'_ \- Thought.

 _"Derek"_ \- Derek mentally speaking.

 **"Ddraig"** \- Ddraig/Albion speaking through the Sacred Gears/Divinities talking.

 _ **"Ddraig"**_ \- Ddraig speaking inside Derek's mind.

* * *

 **Opening (Part 2)**

" _Sigh…_ It's finally done…" A beautiful brown-haired middle-aged female released an alleviated sigh as she plumped on her couch. The woman was wearing a formal suit and had her long hair tied in a long lone ponytail that reached just above her butt, she was currently with her face resting on the couch's back rest as she tried to calm herself down a little.

"S-Should I… t-tell him?…" The woman muttered when she grabbed her phone and rummaged through her contacts until she found one in particular, " _Pft…_ Why can't you forget him, Ilona? He doesn't care." The now identified Ilona Brezina scolded herself, trying to convince her heart that she did not missed one silver-haired Casanova.

The reason for Ilona's downed mood was because she has just finished signing her divorce papers some hours ago, she just couldn't bring herself to continue living a lie, she loved her husband, dearly, but that love went away the moment Derek Hamilton came into the picture. She was a loyal wife that never succumbed to the temptations, after all, she was a beautiful woman, everyone in Prague knew who she is and most men lusted for her, opportunities to cheat, she had a lot, but she never once did, even after she started feeling her marriage's love dissipating, Ilona wanted to remain with her husband at least for the sake of their kids, but the youngest was now fourteen so perhaps that is why she succumbed this time with Derek.

Even then, after she had cheated for the first time, she told herself that it was only for this one time, she would not succumb to her desires again, but seeing Derek almost every day made it impossible. One time became two times, two times became six times, six times became one month and one damn month became six months of cheating her husband with the Hamilton heir practically every day. The worst of all is that she couldn't find herself feeling remorse, she couldn't find herself feeling like a whore, because she fell in love, she made the stupid mistake of falling in love with a guy that made it very clear that he did not wanted anything else, hell, she even wished he got her pregnant just so that maybe he'd stay, "Dammit… I-I'm so stupid…" Ilona whispered while she buried her face on her palms, shedding some tears since she could no longer hold them back.

Don't get it wrong though, she did not regretted a thing, not even divorcing her husband, she divorced him because she cared for the man and living in a lie was not something she wanted to subject him to, so she came clean. Unsurprisingly, her now ex-husband was furious, he lashed out at her, venting all his anger on her, with words mind you, he wasn't a bastard after all. She allowed him to vent on her, feeling surprised that he never once called her by derogatory name, she was even more surprised when he calmed down and acknowledged the fact that they no longer worked. She apologized honestly after that, telling him that there was no excuse for her actions and that she will willingly divorce him and renounce the prenup they made, to which he declined, stating that the money they made during their marriage was made by the two, he only wanted the house and half custody of their children, though, they were already old.

"And now I have no home… and no one to go home to…" She added as she cursed again.

The now single woman grabbed her phone again, surfing through her contacts and while she eyed the one she wanted to call, she whispered, "Fuck it." She pressed the contact and placed the mobile on her ear, listening as the call was being made.

 _"Ilona."_ A masculine voice was then heard after some seconds.

Ilona clutched her chest to try an ease her throbbing heart, having to bite down a curse at herself for feeling happy by the mere sound of Derek's voice, but it has been months since she's heard of him, only the things she's read in the internet about him and his football career let her know how he was doing, "H-Hello Derek…" She responded as her breathing ragged a little. She closed her eyes and while leaning back on her couch, she inquired, "Ho-How are you?"

Some moments passed until Derek replied, _"I'm fine I guess…"_ She heard him sigh before he added a question, _"What about you?"_

"I-I'm…" She stopped there, not knowing if she had the strength to lie, heck, she doubted she even had the strength to tell him the truth. She knew he hates being a shoulder to cry on, he's not like that, so she managed to muster enough strength to finish her sentence, "…fine."

Derek did not replied immediately, not a sound was heard for some moments, worrying Ilona that she might have angered the silverette and that he was going to hang up. But she was surprised when he said after some moments of silence, _"You're lying, you wouldn't have called me if you were. Now out with it, I hate when people lie to me."_

She winced a little at his tone, making her almost break down and cry, but she managed to hold back her sniffles when she mustered enough courage to respond, "I… d-divorced…"

She bit her lip when she heard nothing from the other side of the line, feeling really tense for this damn silence that made her mind go wild with painful thoughts, _"You didn't do it bec…"_ He was saying before she cut him off.

"No! I didn't divorced him because of you!…" She frantically said as she waved her free arm around. She calmed down a little bit to add after, "I d-did it because… I… I d-don't love him… a-anymore…"

She heard Derek sighing tiredly before he said, _"I see…"_ A long pause was then followed, with the sound of their breathing being the only thing filling the line. Ilona had her eyes closed while she dried some of the tears that managed to escape her control before Derek questioned, _"Where are you right now?"_

She was surprised that he questioned that, a part of her was childishly believing that he was going to come here and hold her close to ease her sorrow, but she soon quashed such stupid dreams to reply, "I'm at the c-club, me and Johan agreed that he should k-keep the house s-so…" She sniffled a little before she continued, "I'll be s-staying here until I f-find a new place."

She could practically picture Derek massaging his temples as she heard him sigh in frustration. She thought that he was getting annoyed of her and Ilona was about to end the call when Derek shocked her by saying, _"Use my apartment, I will inform the keeper of the building that you'll be living there from now on."_

Ilona had her eyes wide and her mouth agape, she could not believe what she was hearing, she wanted him to take care of her yes, but damn she never thought he actually would, "A-Are… you… s-serious?…" She whispered slowly, not trusting her words completely as she held her emotions down.

Derek just sighed for the hundredth time before he replied, _"Yeah, stay there as long as you want, I'll…"_ She was breathing rapidly while she waited for him to finish, her heart threatening to jump out of her chest just as Derek finished after his seconds of silence, _"I'll come by and see you soon, okay?"_

Ilona was shell-shocked, she had to pinch herself twice to make sure that she wasn't dreaming, the man that she loved, the one she was sure was not going to give a damn about her, just told her that he was going to check on her soon, and she knew that he was going to do it, he was a man of his word after all, "O-Okay." She whispered as she cried freely now, managing to not make too much noise so that he couldn't tell she was crying.

Derek just stayed quiet for some seconds before he said, _"Alright then, I'll see you soon."_ He ended the call there, not finding anything else to say.

Ilona just stayed there frozen, working up her brain to understand what just happened. She was crying tears of happiness, thinking that perhaps, just perhaps, she might have a chance, "Maybe…" She whispered as she looked at the night sky through her office's window, a small smile on her face when she thought of the man who owned her heart.

* * *

"What the fuck is going on with me?…" Derek whispered to himself after he hung up the mobile. He was surprised at what just happened, he didn't understand why he said such 'cordial' words to Ilona, but her quiet sobs annoyed him like fricking hell, he just wanted her to stop crying.

"Perhaps you're getting soft, husband." The voice of the Chaos Karma Dragon Tiamat was heard saying. She was resting on Derek's bed while reading some magazine, finding humanity amusing as she rummaged through the pages of the revue. Today she was able to be with her mate for some moments, she acts as a secret judge and administrator of the Rating Game so she had to be present for every game in case something that might spiral out of control happens, but since there were no games at the moment, she seized the chance and teleported herself to her mate, where they indulged in some hours of passionate sex, hence her nakedness and fresh sperm flowing out of her vagina.

"For the sake of everyone's safety, let's hope I'm not…" Derek said as he placed his mobile on the table and walked towards the bed to put on his clothes again while he added, "It just annoyed me to hear the woman sobbing, I hate weakness."

Tiamat stopped reading her magazine in order to look at her mate, with an amused glint in her eyes as she commented, "Mhm… I actually think that you care for her." She smirked smugly when she saw him frowning at her words, obviously finding it hard to deny such thing.

Derek just walked towards a chair and grabbed his jacket, donning it before he walked towards the door as he said, "I'm going to take advantage of this… heartfelt… streak of mine to take Alice somewhere."

Tiamat smiled at him, she loved him, even if she had only met Derek some weeks ago, he was her husband and she loved both him and Ddraig, so it made her happy to see that the cold and emotionless Derek was slowly starting to crumble. Granted, it was a very, very slow process and she was sure that he will never be a guy that smiles, but she was also sure that given some time and enough doting from his women, he will warm up a little bit.

"I'll be waiting for you here then, have fun, husband." Tiamat said with a smile.

Derek just nodded with an impassive face as he walked out of the room and immediately made his way towards his sister's room. It wasn't that late, the clock on his phone let him know that it was nine o'clock at night, so he could take Alice somewhere nice so she will get rid of that damned annoying hurt frown of hers.

Once Derek reached the door he was looking for, he knocked on it twice and waited for her response.

* * *

Alice felt a little startled to hear someone knocking on her door, it was somewhat late and she was busy with homework so she wasn't expecting any visitors. But stowing that for now, she stood up and walked towards the door, opening it and feeling her eyes go wide when she saw her beloved brother there, "Derek!" She screamed with surprise before she lunged herself at him. Sure, they saw each other this evening but she will never get enough of getting as much body contact with him as she could.

Derek just sighed and after gently releasing the hug, he said, "Grab your coat and let's go."

Alice was confused, so she tilted her head as she inquired, "W-Where?"

Derek turned around and began to walk away when he responded, "Just do as I say Alice, or I'm leaving without you."

The blackette female immediately panicked and ran into her room to grab her coat, donning it before she ran to catch up with her brother, "Wait up!" She screamed as he walked out of the mansion, followed closely by her.

Derek kept quiet while he boarded the first car he saw, waiting until Alice was inside and once she was, he started the vehicle and stirred it towards the main gate, "W-Where are we going, D-Derek?" Alice whispered a question as she fidgeted nervously, feeling really happy that he was apparently paying her attention, something she thought she wasn't going to receive.

Derek kept his eyes on the road when he responded, "Hampstead."

Alice immediately blushed and smiled shyly at that, Hampstead Heath was a well-known romantic spot of the biggest city in the world. A beautiful ancient and huge park that allowed a wonderful view of London's skyline, it was the scenery for most British romantic movies, so even if she was confused for the sudden invitation, Alice was not going to say a thing as she did not wanted to ruin the opportunity to have her brother's undivided attention.

The rest of the drive was done in silence that to Alice, was an uncomfortable one since she wanted to talk about everything to her beloved brother, but she knows that the silence was a comfortable one for the silverette as he's not one for small talks.

It took them some time to get to Hampstead and once they got there, they started walking into the enormous park through a corridor filled with the fallen leaves of the trees at the sides of the path, it was the beginning of autumn and the deciduous trees were starting to shed their leaves as they mature into new ones.

Alice was smiling cutely at her surroundings, the light of the dim lamps illuminating the corridor along with the moon lighting the sky made up for a perfect scene that made her subconsciously grab a hold of her brother's hand. She quietly gasped when she realised what she'd done but much to her shock, Derek did not took his hand away and allowed her to do as she wanted, to which Alice smiled and blushed while she kept walking.

The siblings soon found a small bench that allowed a perfect view of London, so they promptly sat on it, with Alice hiding herself in her coat as she released Derek's hand who leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees while he held his chin with his folded hands, looking straight at London's night skyline.

Silence reigned for some moments, Alice being a nervous wreck since she had no idea what to say, but thankfully for her, her brother was the one that spoke first when he asked, "How you've been?" His voice was low, almost mute.

Alice inhaled some air to calm herself a little before she replied, "I-I've been… umm… o-okay…" Knowing that her brother wanted a more detailed answer, she elaborated on her life, "I'm t-the top student of my class, I a-already finished my v-violin lessons and… umm… I h-have many friends too, they're all nice, though, I wish some of t-them weren't so arrogant."

Derek nodded as he said, "This is your last year in Upper School, right?…" The black-haired girl nodded at him, prompting him to inquire, "And what do you wish to major in?"

Alice gulped before she answered with a whisper, "I… I w-want to be… a… d-doctor…" She didn't know why she was being so shy about this, but she blamed it on the fact that her brother was basically the one she wanted to impress and earn his praise.

Derek stayed quiet after that, making Alice whimper a little as she believed that he was disappointed of her. But she was then shocked when Derek turned to look at her and with an almost unnoticeable smile, he said with total honesty, "I'm proud of you, Toothless."

Alice couldn't believe what she was hearing, she never thought she'd live to see the day that her brother would say those things to her, she didn't even registered the annoying nickname he used to call her back when they were kids due to her not being able to grow her teeth until a later time than normal, so one could forgive her for asking, "W-Why?"

Derek snorted while he looked back at the front to reply, "I'm not an idiot Alice, I understand that you must be feeling somewhat scared that you don't find yourself eager to be part of the family business…" Alice widened her eyes at that, she didn't thought that he could read her so well, "But make no mistake Toothless, it takes more courage to use your hands for healing, than for killing."

Alice could no longer stop her tears from falling from her beautiful violet eyes. For how long has she wanted to hear those words from him and now she was finally hearing them, she was so damn happy right now that she lunged herself at him and buried her face in his chest while she sobbed harshly, "I l-love you." She said those words over and over again as she tried to melt herself into her brother's embrace.

Derek just sighed as his eyes softened if just a little bit, he brought his hands to her back and caressed the eighteen year old as he allowed her to cry on his chest. He didn't liked to be a shoulder to cry on but for the black-haired Hamilton female he was willing to wage war on Great Red himself.

The two siblings stayed like that for quite a while, Alice still sobbing in his chest as she slowly regained her strength. But after some more moments, she finally calmed down enough to gulp and gather strength to speak while she tightened her grip on his jacket and buried her face deeper into his toned chest, "I love you Derek."

Derek just closed his eyes at those words, knowing that she did not spoke as a sister, but as a woman. Derek knew of Alice's crush on him well, she was always devoted to him, everything she did, she did it to earn his praise and acknowledgment, but that devotion turned into something more when two years ago she was kidnapped by none other than Luis, Niko and Akio, the other three members of Ghosts. The one that employed them apparently wanted to cause a war between humans and supernatural beings by kidnapping the daughter of the late Hamilton heir James, the one behind the kidnapping was none other than Kokabiel himself.

Derek did not wasted any time and promptly levelled Somalia to the ground, killing millions on his rampage as he secured his sister. Guilty or innocent, it didn't mattered as he wanted to send a message, a message to all of those who thought they could use someone close to him to hurt him and that he would hold back to avoid casualties. He was only relieved that Alice's body was intact, otherwise he was sure that he would've destroyed the whole continent as he rampaged in his juggernaut drive.

It took him one whole day to destroy the country, sparing no one, not even the fricking bugs. The only reason for why Kokabiel managed to get out of there with only one arm gone was because somebody else came to end Derek's rampage, allowing the ten-winged Cadre to escape.

But ever since then, Alice developed romantic feelings for him, feelings that grew even more when she learned the truth about their bond, "Alice, I'm your brother." He said dryly as he kept looking at the front.

Alice just closed her eyes when she responded, "O-Only by last name, w-we're not… related b-by blood…" She then looked up to him and said with teary eyes, "P-Plus… y-you said… t-that… you d-don't mind… i-incest…"

Derek just sighed at those words, knowing that it was almost impossible to argue with the girl, but he still tried when he dismissed, "Alice, you're young and susceptive, you've always been devoted to me, the kidnapping only filled your head with wrong ideas of your own feelings."

Derek was surprised though, when Alice jumped out of his arms and with eyes that were as fierce as his, declared, "No! You d-don't know my heart!…" She stood up and added as she looked at London, "I will prove to you, one day I will prove to you that my feelings are as real as they get."

Derek just rubbed his head in exasperation at that declaration, he was hoping that Alice had found a boy but it appears that she's adamant of this little crush of hers. But already fed up with his soft side, Derek stood up and as he walked away, he said, "We'll see…" He kept his hands in his pockets while he prompted Alice, "Let's go, it's already late."

Alice nodded and ran to her brother's side, a fire burning in her eyes and heart as she vowed to prove her brother wrong, she was going to show him how much she truly loved him, but more importantly, how honest her feelings are, _'You'll see Derek…'_

* * *

"So, did you closed the deal?" Rias asked Seekvaria as the Agares heiress sat on the couch inside the ORC clubroom. She was referring to the building where she and her peerage killed the stray devil Viser, she knew that it was abandoned and the zone was in a very good place in the city. Plus, the building itself gave off the vibe of a mysterious place, something she knew will lure a lot of people looking for an exciting nightclub.

Seekvaria sipped her tea and looked around the room, surprised to see not just the whole of Rias' peerage, but Sona's as well, they were apparently discussing something before she arrived here. She guessed that they remained because they obviously wanted to hear the rest of her story, "Yes, the building now belongs to Derek, I'm not sure what he wants to do, so for now, I only hired people to clean up the place." She responded.

Rias smiled a little, feeling somewhat hopeful that Derek might be happy with her for helping him with this. But stowing such things for now, she added, "That's good, I'm sure Derek's club will be a hit."

Seekvaria nodded at that, knowing that her fellow heiress wanted to earn points with her fiancé, something she'll make sure she does. But before anything else could be said, a giddy voice belonging to a white-haired busty girl asked, "Lady Seekvaria! How did you and Derek fell in love!?" Momo had stars in her eyes as she leaned over the couch, eager to hear the story.

Everyone in the room seemed to share the question, but Sona quickly reprimanded her {Bishop}, "Momo!"

Momo did blushed in embarrassment after she realised her disrespect, but before she could apologise, Seekvaria chuckled when she replied, "It's okay Sona, I don't mind…" She set her tea cup on the table and asked, "I'm sure you all want to hear the rest of my story, correct?"

Everyone nodded eagerly at her, leaning closer to hear every detail without missing a beat, making Seekvaria stiffly chuckle as she said, "My, how eager…" She leaned back on her seat and spoke again, "Well, we didn't exactly fell in love with each other at the start, I first met him to sign our contract when he was twelve and I was ten, but back then he was… hostile."

Tsubasa tilted her head at that, asking, "Hostile?"

"Mhm…" Seeing that everyone was confused, Seekvaria elaborated, " _Sigh_ … If you think that Derek is an asshole now, you didn't met him after his parents died…" Seekvaria sighed again before she added, "He was incredibly antagonistic to everyone… when his grandfather called him from wherever he was, he was pissed off the moment he walked into the room, my godfather explained to him that we were supposed to sign a contract, to which he snorted and said that he didn't needed the help of a bratty heiress who only knew how to count."

"Auch." Saji muttered while he winced at the harsh words.

Seekvaria smirked when she conceded, "Auch indeed, I literally wanted to cry right there, I was young and full of naïveté, I had thought that he was going to accept me quickly, but I only really had a good relationship with Alice…" She hugged herself, as if trying to wash her past painful memories away before she continued, "I asked him what the hell was wrong with me and he told me that I was weak, simple as that…" She balled her fists when she finished, "I refused to believe him so he punched me in the gut with such force that I vomited blood and passed out in a second."

Everyone gasped at that, they all knew that Derek was cold and an asshole, but he has never been openly violent, that's why Akeno questioned with shock written on her face, "W-Why would he do that!?"

Seekvaria calmed herself down before she replied, "To prove his point, which he did…" She smiled slightly before she continued, "The thing is, back then, Derek was in a crusade, I won't tell you what about because it's not my story to tell, but he only cared for those strong enough to fight by his side…" She looked up and with a loving smile, she added, "I don't know why, but when I woke up again in my own house, I woke up with a burning fire in my heart to get stronger so I could prove myself to him."

Rias then said, "I guess you did then."

Seekvaria chuckled before she said, "Yes, it wasn't easy though, I had to throw myself into a brutal training designed by my godfather himself for almost two years…" She smirked then when she continued, "But I did it, I challenged him to a spar and I betted that if I managed to hold my ground against him for at least ten minutes, he was going to have to agree signing the contract with me."

Sona smirked when she asked, "How long did you lasted?"

"Seven minutes." Seekvaria replied with a smirk.

Everyone was then confused by that, with Momo questioning the heiress, "I t-thought you had to last ten minutes? You're saying you had to fight him again?"

Seekvaria snorted before she replied, "No, I only had to fight him once…" She saw that everyone was confused, so she elaborated, "I was crushed, he wasn't even winded and yet, I was all bruised and bloody with a broken hand, I thought that he was going to spat on me about how weak I was, but…" She smiled dreamily then while she remembered, "He made me feel the first signs of love when he kneeled before me and started patching me up, I was confused until he told me that I might have lost the bet, but I actually impressed him with my 'fire', so he agreed to sign the contract there."

Everyone smiled at that, finding Derek's sudden soft side quite refreshing and dreamy to think about. The females could only picture him as a nice and kind man, but they strangely found such picture somewhat disappointing though, since that would definitely make him a different person and apparently, what everybody liked the most about him was said personality.

"And that's w-where you s-started falling in l-love with him?" Asia asked timidly while she raised her hand. She had a full blown blush on her cheeks as she daydreamed about something like that happening to her.

"Yes… well… me at least…" Seekvaria replied and after she inhaled some air, she continued, "As time went on and I aided him on his crusade, I started to fall for him, I honestly don't know why, but I would guess that it was the fact that he softened his demeanour a little with me. The thing is, the moment I saw him flirting and fucking different girls, I was getting really jealous, so I knew I had to get more… daring… with my advances…"

 _Flashback_

 _A very nervous sixteen year old Seekvaria Agares was pacing nervously around her hotel room, she was feeling her heart throbbing so hard inside her chest that she worried she might get a heart attack by merely thinking on what she was about to do._

 _But Seekvaria was not going to go back on her decision, she didn't know why she felt so jealous whenever she saw Derek accepting other girls' advances. She and him have shared some kisses in the past, mostly because she was curious of how it felt so she asked him to show her all about it, to which he shrugged and agreed, not before making it clear that it was merely so that she would know how it feels. The problem was though, that she immediately became addicted to his lips, so she asked for more and more every time, sometimes getting dangerously close to a full groping session, but they always stopped before it got that far._

 _But much to her dismay, her jealousy kept growing and growing the more time she spent with the silverette, she even started dreaming of him, kissing her as he made sweet love to her. She tried to rid her mind from such thoughts but she couldn't, so now she was going to stake her claim, she was going to give him the thing she was sure she will only give to him so that he understood that she has fallen in love with him, even if she knew that most likely he was going to refuse her, she was not going to give up, ever._

 _Her pacing around was interrupted when a knock on her door was heard, making her inhale deeply in order to calm her nerves as she walked towards the door and opened it, where the man she has been thinking about was leaning on the door frame as he eyed her curiously, "You said you needed to see me." Derek said with a raised eyebrow._

 _"Y-Yes…" Seekvaria replied as she gulped. She then reigned her shaky-self and said as she stepped aside, "Come on in."_

 _Derek did as told and walked inside the room, heading straight towards the bed to sit on it and question, "Well, what is it?"_

 _Seekvaria kept looking at the floor for some moments, confusing Derek a little, that is until she breathed in heavily and after some seconds, she lunged herself at him to land a ferocious kiss while she straddled him with her long sexy legs._

 _Derek was really confused about Seekvaria's strange behaviour, so he pushed her back a little to ask, "Seekvaria, what are you doing?"_

 _Seekvaria bit her lip and panted before she replied, "I… I w-want… you…" Her voice was barely a whisper, not able to look at him straight at those beautiful haunting blue eyes._

 _Derek managed to hear her though, he understood what she was implying and he could say that he saw this coming. He has of course realised that Seekvaria has been falling in love with him for some time now, and it annoyed the fuck out of him because he told her from the very start that he was not one for relationships, but something he was never going to admit is that he was getting scared, because the damn woman was making him feel those flipping butterflies he was so adamant to brutally crush._

 _"Seekvaria, I told you that…" He was saying before Seekvaria cut him off by kissing him again before she said._

 ** _Lemon Start_**

 _"I k-know but…" She bit her lip again and was already feeling her body getting incredibly hot, so she couldn't stop her clothed sex from grinding over his penis area as she pleaded, "P-Please… I… I b-beg you… j-just for some moments… l-love me back…"_

 _Derek just sighed while he closed his eyes at those words, it was hard to control himself when he felt her amazing body grinding hungrily against his. He knew that taking her virginity is only going to bring more problems for him but not capable of turning her away, he sat up and carried her, turning her on her back as he placed her on the bed while he assaulted her mouth with a commanding growl that made Seekvaria immediately submit herself to him._

 _The two immediately started stripping from their clothes, with Seekvaria hungrily eyeing her beloved as he relinquish himself from all rags, positioning himself above her to start kissing her before he began kissing her down her body at a sensual slow pace, placing a kiss on her chin, on her neck, her collarbone and soon after, assaulting her impressive bust with his mouth while he massaged her neglected breast, pinching her nipple while he suck on the other one, "Oh… S-Satan… s-suck them…" She begged, hugging his head as to drive him deeper into her bags of flesh._

 _Derek did as told and sucked with even more strength, alternating between her two huge breasts while taking his hand down on her body, teasing every bit of flesh before he arrived to her uncovered vagina. He loved the thin line of her bush that safely guided him towards her clitoris, which he started to twitch in between his thumb and index fingers while he kept sucking on her breast._

 _"AAA…" Seekvaria screamed when she felt Derek's finger invading her vagina, sending volts of pleasure throughout her body while he fingered her with a slow pace before he started increasing his fingers' thrusts, "M-More…" She moaned as she panted while bucking her hips on his fingers to meet his rhythm._

 _Derek stopped sucking on her breasts in order to bring his head next to hers to whisper as he assaulted her core with his fingers, "You like that?…" Seekvaria just whimpered as she hugged him tightly, prompting him to add with a smirk, "Come on Seek, let it go, let that pussy feel good." He then pinched her clitoris, driving her to her end as she silently screamed while her essence coated Derek's hand._

 _Derek allowed Seekvaria to regain her breath a little, looking at her sexy form as she panted with a faraway look on her eyes, delving herself deeply into the incredible feeling of her very first orgasm._

 _He then licked his fingers from her essence and as he looked at her straight in the eyes, he commanded, "Get out of the bed…" She immediately did as told and once she stood before him, still panting and shaking, he said, "Get on your knees."_

 _Seekvaria was not able to deny his commanding voice and aura, kneeling immediately as she promptly grabbed the impressive hard rock penis presented to her. She knew what he wanted, she didn't needed him to tell her what he desired of her, so she started stroking him while slowly bringing her mouth over his penis, giving it temptative licks while she increased her strokes._

 _She was then surprised when Derek held her head and forcefully stuffed his penis in her mouth, making her eyes go wide in shock as her throat gagged at the intrusion. Derek knew he was treating her harshly, after all, she was a virgin, so she knew nothing about this, but he was doing this on purpose, he was hoping that if he was forceful with her she will back away from him, so while he was not going to be an abusive asshole, he was not going to go easy on her either, after all, he was a dragon and dragons are anything but gentle._

 _Seekvaria quickly willed herself to get accustomed to the rough treatment, she knew what Derek's trying to do, she knew him better than anyone after all. But her feelings were not shallow, they were as deep as they get and she was not going to let anything get in her way, so she was glad when she started feeling the pleasure of having her beloved's penis brutally assaulting her mouth while she fingered herself, purposefully slurping loudly to make the act all the more lewd._

 _Derek then pushed his penis deeply into her mouth and with a primal growl, released his seed directly into her throat, not allowing her a moment of breath. Seekvaria struggled a little to drink her lover's essence, but somehow she managed to drink most of it, letting some sperm out of her mouth as he took his penis out of her wet canal._

 _Derek growled when he stared at the dazed Seekvaria, who was looking at him with glazed eyes while some of his sperm was visible on the corners of her mouth, her chest rapidly puffing as she regained her breath. The sight was so damn sexy that he grabbed her by her armpits and roughly threw her to the bed, quickly positioning himself above her as he rubbed her awaiting slit with the head of his penis._

 _Seekvaria gulped when she locked her pink eyes to her beloved's blues while he slowly started penetrating her with his huge penis. She widened her mouth as she silently screamed once he touched her barrier, a scream that became loud and clear when he brutally pierced her and buried himself fully within her._

 _Derek stopped any movements from both him and her, allowing her to get accustomed to the pain, feeling the blood of her vagina coating his penis as he surprisingly stroked her cheek tenderly._

 _"L-Love me Derek… p-please…" Seekvaria said after some moments, bucking her hips against him to feel his penis even deeper within her._

 _Derek immediately started thrusting in her, starting slowly before he increased his speed when he saw Seekvaria eagerly crashing her hips against his. He then lost all restraint and brutally pounded her into the bed, growling as he roughly groped her globs of flesh while he drove himself deeper into her._

 _"Oooo… it f-feels… s-so good!…" Seekvaria moaned as she threw her head back. Derek then pulled out of her, making her moan in protest but before she could demand anything, Derek roughly turned her on her stomach and grabbed her hips, lifting them up before he once again buried his flesh-stick into her awaiting folds, "D-Derek… f-fuck me… m-make me yours…" She whispered while she buried her head in the bed, fisting the sheets as her saliva soaked the covers._

 _Derek then grabbed her hair and roughly pulled her into his chest, grabbing her breast with one hand as he held her hip with the other while he kept pounding her with reckless abandon. Seekvaria could only lean back into her lover's chest, throwing her head over his shoulder while her tongue lolled out of her mouth, unable to make any coherent words._

 _Derek brought his right hand towards her clit and pinched it, sending her over the edge when he buried himself as deep as he could to feed her hungry womb with his sperm, sinking his teeth on her neck as he subconsciously marked her as his._

 _Seekvaria could only release a hollow scream, with wide eyes as she stared at the roof thanks to the intoxicating feeling of her lover's cream flooding her womb, drinking as much as it could in order to produce an infant._

 _The two stayed like that for some moments, regaining their breaths while Derek held her close to him. That is until Seekvaria lost all of her strength and fell onto the bed, still gasping hard as she tried to regain her coherence._

 _Derek slumped next to her, lying on his back while he rested his right arm on his forehead. He felt Seekvaria shakily placing herself on top of him, her cheek close to where his heart is as she whispered, "I… l-love… y-you…" She fell asleep, lulled by the beating of his heart._

 _Derek just frowned at those words, killing the warm feeling sprouting in his heart the moment it showed itself. He knew he just made a mistake but he couldn't find himself to care anymore, so he just closed his eyes and allowed sleep to claim him as well, knowing that he now had to try harder to make Seekvaria forget her feelings for him._

 ** _End Lemon_**

 _End Flashback_

Seekvaria sighed dreamily as a delicious shiver ran through her body, her sex tingling excitedly while demanding the presence of her beloved's reproductive organ, eagerly anticipating his arrival. The Agares then shook her head to rid her mind of lustful thoughts in order to look around, not surprised to see the females in the room wearing a mad blush on their cheeks as they panted harshly, the males had a small trail of blood running down their noses and she could tell that the blond Sitri male was suffering a boner since apparently, she forgot to censor her tale, "Oops." She muttered with an amused smirk.

It took everyone a while to recover their senses, with Asia slowly waking up from her fainting since she couldn't ease her innocent heart at such descriptive words from the devil heiress.

"W-Well…" Rias whispered, reigning her imagination that stubbornly placed herself in Seekvaria's place.

"…" Momo could only look dazed when she felt her sex tingling, something that her fellow Sitri comrades shared.

Tsubasa for her part was trying hard to reign her lust, Seekvaria's tale reminded her of how she gave her virginity to the very same man and while he was indeed more gentle with her, he still destroyed her sex, leaving her unable to walk or even pee comfortable for some days, but she would go through it all again without a second thought.

"Oh my…" Akeno muttered while she placed her hand on her reddened cheek, feeling her body responding to the tale, demanding her to feel such thing first hand. She liked the silverette, he was sexy, intriguing and handsome as hell, but as the days went by she couldn't help but feel that she was looking at him more than she should.

Surprisingly, Sona was also quite flustered, foreign emotions that she knew were all related to lust flooding her body as her panties started to dampen. But wanting to change the subject soon, she stuttered, "W-Well… a-after… _ahem_ … su-such encounter… what h-happened?"

Seekvaria chuckled at the Sitri heiress' blatant effort to distract herself from her growing lust. The Agares did not minded them knowing how she lost her virginity, she took pride in it because it was that very night that Derek fell in love with her too, even if he won't admit it. Plus, she wanted to entice her fellow devil females, wanting to see which of them will fall to the temptation.

But focusing again on Sona, Seekvaria replied, "After that, we continued having sex, though, we did it as 'friends with benefits', at least that's what it was for him…" She sighed before she spoke again, "But for me, it became harder and harder to resist my heart's desire, I fell hard for him and I knew it was a mistake, but I didn't cared, so I never gave up, I kept pushing him and pushing him…" She then chuckled when she added, "The harder I pushed, the more blatant his 'cheating' on me became, going as far as to even fuck one of my maids right in my room, but I ignored the pain."

After deep breaths to calm herself down, Rias inquired, "W-Why? Why w-would you ignore the pain h-he caused you?"

Seekvaria saw that that question was present in everyone's minds, she knew that her answer might not really convey why she really withstood Derek's painful actions, but there wasn't really any other words to describe it, so said, "Because I knew why he did it, he was scared, terrified of the warm feeling he was feeling in his heart…" She smiled lovingly as she recalled, "I could see it every time he looked at me, his eyes no longer held coldness towards me, they held… a longing… excitement… anticipation… he hid them well, but I managed to see it and I understood that he was afraid of forming a bond, because bonds more often than not get broken and his parents' deaths was something that completely broke his heart, making it almost impossible for him to form a bond, but that's also why Derek is so protective over those who break through his walls, because losing someone is something he would have a great deal of trouble to go through."

Everyone widened their eyes at that, slowly but steadily, they were learning more and more about the silver-haired enigma, the things Seekvaria was telling them enlightened them to the truth of the Hamilton heir, which was that beyond all that cunningness, coldness and indifference, laid a broken man, afraid of getting hurt once again, it gave Derek so much more humanity in their eyes, with the girls feeling even more swayed by him after hearing such explanation.

Still, there was something that confused the ever intellectual Sitri heiress, so she questioned, "I t-thought you said he had no trouble with k-killing even the closest person to his heart, but you're saying now that he's incapable to withstand losing someone, I don't understand."

Seekvaria smirked at her fellow heiress as she replied, "Because, my dear Sona, there is a huge difference between losing someone from forces outside of your control and you doing it because you have to, Derek will do the impossible to keep those he cares for alive, even turning into the bad guy, but he is a man that does not dwell in decisions, if he needs to kill you, he will do it, but if there's no need for you to die, than he will protect you…" She sighed before she finished, "In conclusion, Derek is the epitome of the saying 'know what you want', he knows who he is, what he's capable of, what he wants and what he needs, that's why every decision he takes, he takes it without looking back."

Sona could only nod dumbly at that, not able to form any coherent sentence at such though out response, she now understood that Derek Hamilton was both the most complex and simple man she has ever met. On the surface, he was a mystery, an enigma, an almost impossible puzzle to solve, but his very foundation was simple, very simple, live as you want, that's his very core.

Seekvaria saw that it was already late, she had to go back to the building to check on the crew cleaning it, so she stood up and said, "Well, now you know our story, it's not all of it of course, but that's as far as you'll know, after all, a girl must keep her secretes…" She winked at them and walked towards the door with her {Queen} in tow, leaving some words before she left, "I have business to attend to, so I'll see you guys later."

She only received hums of acknowledgment, everyone still deep into a trance due to all the information they just received from the Agares heiress, with Derek Hamilton becoming an even more enticing puzzle to solve as the seconds went by.

* * *

"So…" Aleister said to his best friend as he walked behind him throughout the corridors of the Buckingham Palace, the black-haired GhostTwo was confused as to why they would require Derek's presence here. Sure, Derek was the Queen's grandnephew but if she wanted to see him, she could've just ask for him to go to her real personal home, "Do you know why the want you here?"

Derek for his part just sighed at those words, not really knowing either why did his grandfather requested his presence, but before he could even respond, Derek felt a very painful pang in his heart followed by a violent coughing fit that forced him to place his hand on the wall in order to steady himself, with Aleister immediately running next to him to stop him from falling.

"F-Fuck." Derek muttered in between gasps as he looked at the palm of his hand with which he covered his mouth, a lot of blood staining it while two small lines of the red liquid fell from his mouth to the floor.

Aleister just cursed under his breath, he knew that Derek's fits were becoming more and more frequent now. Since they arrived to London, he has been attacked by them at least four times and that made the blackette boy really nervous because he has been trying with everything he's got to find a cure for his older brother figure, but so far, nothing has come up.

"Dammit, Boss." Thompson muttered as he handed a tissue to Derek while he looked around, making sure nobody saw what happened.

Derek quickly cleaned his mouth and fixed himself up again, saying, "Well, that's the issue of using Juggernaut Drive for almost two hours…" He then resumed his walk towards the throne room, followed closely by Aleister, "Though, it is starting to get annoying." He added, ignoring the pain in his heart as he kept walking.

Aleister was about to say something, but he realised that they have already arrived to Buckingham's throne room, where inside, Jonathan Hamilton, his son Lance, the Queen of the UK, her husband and son along with her oldest grandson were waiting for them.

"Derek?…" The Duke of Edinburgh said as he rested his old tired vision on the familiar silver-haired male belonging to the second side of the royal family. It has been so long since he saw his great-nephew, "Boy, is that you?"

Derek had to stifle a snort when he saw his granduncle, he was too old now, ninety-six years old and yet, he was still walking about with almost no trouble. He suddenly winced though, when he was shocked to feel that something had hit him on the head, "What the…" Derek Hamilton muttered as he saw everyone's shocked expressions, expression which he mimicked when he saw that the culprit was his great-aunt, the Queen herself, but the shock was not her, but what she threw, "A-Aunt… d-did you just… threw the fricking crown at me!?" He never felt so damn vulnerable in his life like now. The Queen had this strange ability to completely bypass his honed senses every time and damn if despite her old age she had such fricking good aim.

Queen Elizabeth huffed before she replied, "Yes I did, you reckless boy!…" She then grabbed her cane and added, "Now, bring me the crown back."

Aleister had to hold his laugh harder than ever, never in his life he thought that he would see the 'Human God' himself listening to someone so obediently, but here he was, doing as his aunt ordered him, grabbing the crown of the British Empire from the ground and walking towards the Queen.

Nobody could hold their chuckle when after Derek gave the crown back, he received a powerful hit on his head with her cane, forcing Derek to say as he rubbed his sore head, "What the hell, aunt!?"

The Queen just huffed again before she said, "That's for disappearing so recklessly and for not coming to visit your aunt!…" She then pointed towards a big box on the far side of the room to add, "Those are all the cookies I made for you, you are to take them once we're done here."

Aleister cursed himself for not being able to record this beautiful scene, Derek looked so damn helpless as he walked back to stand before his Queen while cursing under his breath, clearly not knowing what the hell was he going to do with a box full of who knows how old cookies.

Jonathan just chuckled a little, not able to hide his amusement at his grandson's plight, it was a well-known fact within the royal family that no one, not even Derek, could stand up against the Queen if she truly wanted something, it was just not possible to bypass her grandmotherly stern demeanour. But knowing that they needed to tackle the business that gathered them all here, the Hamilton patriarch spoke as he leaned back on his chair, "Now that Derek is here, it's time to talk about our business."

The Queen giggled a little before she added, "Ah yes, you're always so eager, Jona…" She then locked her eyes to the three males standing before her, her son, her grandson and her grandnephew, to say, "We have called you all here because the time for my retirement is near."

That surprised most of the people there, they knew that she was already old and will likely wish to spend the rest of her days living a calm life, but it was still a surprise to hear that the longest monarch of Britain was ready for retirement, "I see but…" Derek said as he eyed his relatives before he continued, "What's that got to do with us?"

It was Jonathan the one that answered when he explained, "It has to do with the fact that one of you will be her successor."

Everyone was confused at that, a confusion made known by Prince William when he said, "Wait…" He looked at his side towards his confused father to question, "Isn't father supposed to take the crown after you, grandmother?"

The Prince's uncle, Lance, was the one that replied when he spoke, "Yes William, it was supposed to be like that but we have come to a different decision."

This further confused the Prince and his father, not following what they meant, so seeing this confusion, Jonathan added, "While originally Charles was supposed to take the crown, we have discussed to put it to a vote…" He sipped his whiskey before he continued, "One of you three will become King in the next few years."

The Prince of Wales was about to ask why when his nephew, Derek, said dryly, "Count me out."

Jonathan saw that his cousin was about to throw her crown at the silverette again, so wanting to avoid any further damage to the British relic, he quickly said, "I knew you would refuse, that is why I have come up with a solution."

Derek raised an eyebrow at that as he looked at his cousin and uncle who looked as puzzled as him. He returned his blue eyes to his grandfather to question, "What is this solution you speak of?"

Jonathan leaned back on his seat to explain, "The next King will be chosen between Charles and William…" The two named nodded at his words, prompting the Hamilton patriarch to continue as he now eyed his silver-haired grandson, "While you will inherit my 'Supreme King' status."

Seeing that everyone, even Derek, were confused, the Queen of the UK explained, "You don't know about that because you haven't lived in times of global conflict…" She leaned on her seat a little before she kept going, "But when such a thing occurs, let's say World War Three, Jonathan automatically assumes control of the country, even if I am still in active, I cannot overrule his orders."

Derek raised an eyebrow at that, saying, "Why would something like that exists?"

It was the Duke of Edinburgh the one that explained to his grandnephew when he said, "It was created to avoid failure for being led by an inexperienced military commander since in times of war, the Monarch is supposed to take the spot as the Supreme Commander, not the Prime Minister."

Lance then added, "Since out of the three of you Derek is the only with real military experience that even surpasses my own, Derek will become Supreme King if the time calls for it."

Derek just groaned loudly at that, he was about to decline again when his grandfather intervened, "This is not a choice Derek, you will inherit these powers once I'm retired, and stop worrying, as long as there is no global conflict, you won't have to wear the crown."

Derek just sighed as he said, "Fuck it then…" He looked back at everyone to add, "Is that all?"

The Queen was the one that answered as she stood from her seat and made her way towards him. Once in range, she grabbed Derek's right arm and began leading him out of the throne room, saying to Aleister, "Aleister dear, can you please bring those cookies with you, me and my dear nephew have much to talk about."

Aleister nodded and immediately went to grab the box, enjoying the sight of an annoyed Derek who could only close his eyes as he allowed his Queen to take him to who knows where, no doubt was he going to get an earful from the British monarch and boy was Aleister going to enjoy it.

* * *

Derek sighed tiredly when he stepped into the car, he just spent almost five hours talking to his great-aunt and great-uncle, they bombarded him with questions about everything as he was being forced to eat those damn cookies that he still couldn't finish, "There like hundreds of them, dammit." He muttered as he looked at the back seat of the car where the big box of cookies laid.

Aleister had already left him in order to go and enjoy more of his vacation, now Derek was looking at his mobile to see the hour, cursing when he saw that he was already some moments late so he quickly started the vehicle and drove off of Buckingham Palace, heading straight to the SIS Building where Vanessa was surely waiting for him already.

It took him some moments to get there and once there, he saw his apprentice biting her lip nervously, probably thinking that he had forgotten about their 'date'. He took some moments to check her out, she was wearing a pair of casual shoes with light blue jeans, a sea-blue blouse that hugged her body well and on top of it, a black leather vest. He could distinguish the silver cross necklace he gifted to her hanging over her collarbone, her light-brown hair contrasting beautifully against the setting sun, accentuating her mesmerizing green eyes.

Derek stopped the car right before her, lowering the passenger's seat window before he said, "Let's go Vanessa."

Vanessa was currently in wonderland, nervousness creeping into her body as she first wondered how could she make the most of her 'date' with her mentor, but she then started to panic after he was already ten minutes late, thinking that he may have forgotten. But her pondering was then broken when a black car suddenly stopped before her, watching as the window lowered to show the face of the man currently occupying her thoughts, urging her to get in the car.

She shook her head and quickly did as told, opening the door and taking her seat as she greeted, "H-Hello Ma-Master." She offered him a shy smile, a cute blush adorning her cheeks while she fidgeted a little.

Derek snorted when he started driving again, focusing on the road when he said, "Vanessa, right now I'm not your superior so call me by my name."

Vanessa looked at him for some moments before she nodded with a coy smile when she replied, "O-Ok… D-Derek…" She was feeling really happy right now, she has been waiting for so long to spend time with the handsome silverette that now that she was doing it, she couldn't help herself but blush, "W-Where are we going?" She whispered, looking at the road as they travel through it.

Derek replied, "I'm taking you to Radio Rooftop."

Vanessa just blushed harsher at that, Radio Rooftop was a nice casual romantic bar that was set in the rooftop of a hotel, it offered a fantastic view of London's skyline since it was an open terrace bar, hence being one of the most popular destinations to have a fun date with a loved one.

The pair stayed quiet for a while, Derek because he enjoyed the quietness after so much talking with his relatives and Vanessa because she was so damn nervous. She knew what she wanted to do, she has been preparing herself for this very night but now that it was here, she was finding her courage crumbling away quite easily.

It took them some minutes to arrive to the ME London Hotel, where they quickly made their way in and were escorted by an attendant towards the rooftop bar. Once there, the owner of the establishment quickly received them with a nervous smile as he greeted, "L-Lord Hamilton, i-it is a p-pleasure to serve you and your date t-tonight."

Derek and Vanessa both nodded cordially at the man, walking as they were led towards their private table. Just as they sat, Derek looked at the owner and warned, "I trust that you know what will happen if I see pictures of tonight running around the media?" He aimed his cold blue eyes at the man as he sneakily increased his oppressive aura.

The owner of the Hotel immediately paled at the words of the young royal, knowing that the Hamilton heir had the power to completely destroy his life with mere words, after all, the parent company of the hotel belonged to the Hamilton family, so he immediately nodded while he stuttered, "Y-Yes s-sir… I… I-I'll make s-sure nothing ru-ruins your e-evening." He then quickly made himself scarce, not able to stand in the Hamilton's presence any longer.

Vanessa couldn't help but giggle at her master's actions, saying, "You j-just can't stop f-frightening people huh, Master?"

Derek just shrugged when he replied, "Can't help it, it is my dragon nature after all…" He then thanked the waitress who brought them a bottle of champagne and after serving a glass for both Vanessa and him, he added, "Now, before we talk about anything else, I need to know how your mission is going…" He could see Vanessa's mood quickly deflating after his words, probably thinking that he only took her out to talk about that. But finding her hurt expression annoying, he explained, "Stop with the gloominess Vanessa, you know that only when we're alone can we discuss about this, I promised you a… date… and you'll get it in some minutes."

Vanessa smiled a little after her mentor explained himself, she felt a little embarrassed that she let her disappointment show so openly that her master had no trouble reading it, but knowing that he was right, she replied, "Y-Yes… well… so far me and your… umm… associate… haven't had much luck since all I could gather from MI6's intel network are mere rumours coming from crazy people…" She sipped her champagne and added, "As for GhostSix, there hasn't been anything new, no face to pin on the top."

Derek frowned at that, he was feeling irritated by the lack of information but he couldn't blame his underlings for that, after all, the one he was searching for has been hiding for quite a long time, "It's okay Skipper…" He looked at her and caressed her cheek to let her know that he was not disappointed, "These things take time."

Vanessa rejoiced in the warm and strong feel of her mentor's palm stroking her cheek, even if it only lasted mere five seconds, it made her really happy, "W-We will not fail you Master, I p-promise." She declared with no hesitation in her words, she was not going to fail the man that gave her a chance to be someone important, of that, she was going to be sure.

Derek offered the brunette middle-aged woman a very, very small smile, he knew that she's completely devoted to him, much like most of his underlings. But stowing such things for now, he drank some of his champagne and said, "Alright then…" He didn't really know what to do now, he has never been on a date, he never needed to and while he might not need to do this with Vanessa either, he did cared for her enough to give her what she wanted, "How have you been?"

Vanessa widened her eyes when she heard Derek seemingly beginning their date, asking her how she was doing was something she rarely heard from him, so quickly reigning her stupor, she replied, "I-I've been great, thanks… I… umm…" She fidgeted, feeling nervous of talking about her personal life with the man of her thoughts, "I s-started developing a n-new software to augment o-our info network's range by q-quite a margin… I… I j-just don't know if it'll work but…"

Sensing his apprentice's nervousness, probably because she was trying too hard to earn his praise, Derek intervened, "Vanessa…" The woman looked at him as he added, "You're good, incredibly good, you don't need my approval nor anyone else's to know that you're doing great, you're the head of the MI6, Europe's biggest intelligence service, you didn't achieved that post because of me, you did it because of your own hard work."

Vanessa was shocked, stunned, frozen, she could not believe what her mentor said to her just now since he has never, never, said such warm words to her, he usually shows his pride of her with small, almost undetectable details, but never with such open words, "M-Master…" She whispered, not able to blink or stop her eyes from getting teary.

Derek just sighed when he looked at Vanessa's face, it annoyed him how his heart winced when he saw the shocked expression of his apprentice, mainly because he knew that most of the time he was too hard on everyone. Vanessa has always been devoted to him ever since he gave her a new purpose but he also knew that he was a terrible teacher, not because he didn't taught her anything of value mind you, after all, he is the one that taught her how to fight and command, he is a bad teacher because he does not encourage, something that even his mentor, Lewis Butland, did to him when he was under his wing.

So the silverette thought that he could give her a pass as he placed his hand over her head, earning a surprised look on her blushed face, he locked his eyes to hers and said the nicest thing he has said to her ever since they met, "I'm proud of you, Skipper."

Vanessa could not believe it, _'I-Is this… a… d-dream?…'_ She thought as she sure as hell hoped it wasn't because those were the words she has been waiting to hear ever since she became his apprentice, which student wouldn't want to hear that from their teacher? It meant that you have finally made it. So one could forgive the brunette for lunging herself at him to hug him tightly while she whispered with her face buried in his chest, "T-Thank you… t-thank you…" She didn't even bothered to hide her tears, she was so happy right now that nothing else mattered.

 _'Is it really that shocking to hear me say that?…'_ Derek thought as he recalled how his sister had the exact same reaction to that of Vanessa after he said those words to her, he genuinely didn't expected to see that they seem to hold his opinion in such high regard. The silverette Hamilton just leaned back on the couch as he caressed Vanessa's back with his right arm, his left arm bringing the champagne to his lips to take a sip of the beverage while he allowed Vanessa to calm herself down.

It took the woman some moments to calm down but she found herself not wanting to break the hug, she missed his warmth, the way he touches her, he misses everything about him. So even knowing that she'll never get much from him in such regard, she mustered her courage to bring her head up and kissed him chastely on the lips.

Derek allowed this to happen, though, he was confused, so once she pulled back, he said, "Vanessa, you know that I…"

She shut him up when she said, "Y-Yes… I… I k-know you have… m-many lovers…" She fidgeted a little before she continued, "And w-while it d-does… makes me j-jealous… I… I j-just want you to pay me attention Ma-Derek."

Derek stared at the beautiful woman in front him for some moments, things were starting to get out of control in his opinion, it was like every day a new female wanted to be with him and while he understood that it was mainly because his dragon aura overpowered them with their own basic instincts, among other things we are in no time or place to discuss, he still found it annoying. But, Vanessa was no stranger to him, he had already slept with her some times before but more importantly, she was his apprentice, she might not understand it well, but that necklace he gave her meant more than what she thought.

"Attention you say, huh?" He said as he stared at London's skyline.

Vanessa gulped and for a moment lost herself in admiring how handsome Derek was, the moonlight contrasting his haunting silver hair so well as his deep blue eyes seemed to glow and accentuate how beautiful they were, despite their usually scary cover. But she quickly shook her head and pressed her body against his to say timidly, "I d-don't care if i-it's only f-for release to you… I… I j-just really… c-care… for you, Derek."

Derek knew that she wanted to use another word instead of 'care', but he was thankful that she also knew that he hated that word, so she intelligently avoided it. Derek looked back at her, her face centimetres away from his, he brought his face next to her ear and whispered as he gripped her butt with his right hand, "Do you want me to pay you attention now or later?"

Vanessa moaned when she felt Derek's hand squeezing her butt, how her body missed his touch dammit, she could already feel her panties soaked with her juices by merely his touch. But finding some strength, she whispered, "N-Now… a-all night…" She panted as she gripped his jacket while tilting her head to allow him access to her neck.

Derek smirked at that, standing up as he grabbed the dazed woman's hands, leading her out of the bar and towards the car to immediately set off to her house, where once they arrived, Vanessa wasted no time as she pushed him inside her room and started striping along with him.

 **Lemon**

Once the two were naked, Derek roughly grabbed Vanessa by her waist and lifted her up in the air to position her over him on her bed, facing his already hard rock member while he immediately assaulted her soaked cunnie with his tongue penetrating her without mercy.

Vanessa moaned at the intrusion before she occupied herself with pleasing her mentor with her mouth, starting with sensual licks on the tip of her penis before they became kisses on his whole shaft. Those kisses soon turned into reckless sucking as she engulfed his large member with her mouth and sucked him off for his seed, eagerly anticipating it after so long without it.

The two grunted when they released into each other's mouths, Vanessa will always feel surprised at how much he releases and how he doesn't mind drinking her juices either. But just as the woman finished drinking her reward, she was suddenly lifted once again and in a flash, found herself face against the bed while Derek lifted her hips and without a word, he penetrated her roughly, making Vanessa moan happily as she once again was stuffed by the man she loved.

"D-Derek… t-there… r-right there…" Vanessa moaned as she was now looking at him while he pounded her already sore sex, falling even harder for him when she could see how his icy eyes warmed up whenever he looked at her, it was almost unnoticeable, but knowing him as well as she did, she knew that it was a powerful thing for him to show, so she locked him with her legs as he brought his face towards her breasts which he quickly devoured, feeling so happy to know that he did cared for her.

"Fuck, Vanessa." Derek grunted as he lifted her up and began fucking her harder as they took on a sitting position, with the woman bouncing up and down his penis with her mesmerising breasts jumping all over the place.

"Derek!" Vanessa screamed as she hugged him for dear life, releasing all her juices over his penis which Derek pushed far into her canal, allowing his sperm to go directly into her womb that immediately basked in the seed, eager to create life with it.

The two stayed quiet for some moments in order to catch their breaths, that is until Vanessa moaned when she was placed over the bed once again and Derek pounded into her without question, a happy smile on her face as she swore herself to this man even if he did not wanted.

 **End Lemon**

* * *

Derek exhaled as he blew the smoke from the cigarette he was enjoying right now. He was currently at the very top of The Shard, enjoying the amazing view of London from its tallest building as the lights of the city glowed lively, contrasting with the beautiful deep blue sky.

It was around two A.M., a somewhat cold breeze blew past him as he sat with feet hanging on the ledge of the very roof. It has already been four days since he arrived to London and tomorrow, the silverette was supposed to go back to Luxembourg.

He allowed his mind to wander though, as he remembered the last private chat he had with his grandfather. They had discussed about the election for the new Prime Minister as it was supposed to be held next year as the current PM was merely a temporary puppet since the last PM revoked his post after a controversial decision that was blamed on him, not that he knew about it of course. The importance of such subject was because it was imperative for the Hamiltons that the next PM was someone aligned with their views but not someone weak willed, the reason being that they had no need for mindless drones as it would only be too troublesome to do everything for them. They needed someone capable of the post, someone who could take decisions for themselves and to keep the country together, something that the past PM failed to achieve as the tensions within the UK were at an all-time high, principally with Scotland being divided between those who wish to gain independence and those who wish to remain in the union.

Such attitude from Scotland has lit a flame in all of those who felt the same in the countries that belonged to the UK apart from England, those being Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales, however, something that many people do not know was that the UK did not stopped there, as every member of the Commonwealth secretly still belonged to the British Empire. To the outside, the fifty-two states that comprise the Commonwealth, including countries such as Canada, Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand and many more isles, may seem as independent countries and in a way they are, as they function on their own and have developed their own identities over time since the dissolution of the British Empire, however, they all still acknowledged the UK's king or queen as their monarch.

What only those of the top branch know though, is that those countries and their rulers are still under British control since the fall of the British Empire was nothing but a ruse to divert the world's attention to somewhere else due to the fact that the word 'Empire' was starting to be seen as an immediate global threat, thanks to the Nazi Empire and the Soviet Union. Thus, by the last half of the 1900's, Jonathan Hamilton created the ruse of dissolving the Empire, giving a false independence to the colonies all over the globe.

Many, including the Queen herself, were surprised by his decision, more so when he was barely thirty years old when he made it, but nobody questioned him as he had already proved that he was the true ruler of the kingdom and as time went on, everyone saw that his decision was the right one since the threat that the UK possessed to the rest of the world, was viewed as less than before.

That doesn't mean that the UK is no longer powerful though, as the country is currently 'officially' ranked as the sixth most powerful military force. But if anybody were to ever try an attack on the country, they will have the shock of their lives when they realise that the British Empire never really dissolved, leaving the UK with a military force of over twenty million soldiers under its command, and all thanks to one man, Jonathan Hamilton, who to many, is the true Emperor of the world.

Hence why the new PM needed to be someone who, if not their ways, at least shared the views of the royal family as it was imperative to remain united. Novum poses a threat like none other before, simply because nobody knows what they want, but their reach has no boundaries as Derek and his people have uncovered many trails that led to all over the world, so whatever those terrorists want, it's not bound to be beneficial for the common cause.

But according to Jonathan, the PM they have in mind is exactly that, strong and capable of uniting people under her belt, she has a lot of experience in politics and was a native to Scotland, something that will prove beneficial to maintain the stability of the UK and hence, of the still very much alive British Empire.

Derek's thoughts then wandered towards his sister, cousin and apprentice, he had to spend time with them, going out to parties, to the movies, theatres, anything that will keep them from nagging the silverette to no end. Emily especially, who became very clingy and flirty with him, probably wanting to annoy Alice who predictably fell for it every time, but Derek did warned Emily though, that if she behaved like that the next time they met, he was going to fuck her silly to keep her cool, to which she blushed harshly and ran to her room. As for Vanessa, he just paid the kind of attention she wanted, to which she was really grateful, it even surprised him that she became more focused on her tasks, probably because she no longer was in a situation where her love was unrequired, even if she was not in a relationship with him, Derek did promised to take care of her needs as a woman, provided she understood that he was not a lovey-dovey guy, to which she already knew so nodded without hesitation.

His pondering was suddenly broken though, when he heard a person landing behind him, prompting the Hamilton to say, "Took you long enough to get here, I was throwing myself into an inner monologue for the ages."

He heard the person that landed behind him snort before he replied, "Yeah well, not everyone can teleport in a flash to wherever they want like you."

Derek looked at his side as the male took a seat next to him. The man that arrived was a handsome young man with dark-silver hair, just like Derek's, he also had Derek's same eye colour, only a shade of blue lighter, the male was slim but seemed to be taller than the Hamilton heir and his face was handsome too, though in a more delicate way. He was wearing burgundy jeans with a silver chain dropping over them, black shoes, a V-neck green shirt and a high-collared black leather jacket over it, all in all, he looked like a younger and more effeminate version of Derek.

Derek snorted as he brought his gaze back over the city to say, "Always putting out excuses, Vali…" He smoked form his cigarette and added, "You're supposed to be my rival and so far, I'm greatly disappointed."

Vali just smirked at his fellow silverette's words, replying, "Yet, I was the one who got you out of Juggernaut Drive."

Derek smirked as he said back, "Wasn't you though."

Vali didn't lost his smirk when he countered, "I was the one that knocked you out anyway."

Derek just chuckled at that, knowing it to be true, so putting their banter aside, he tackled the matter at hand, "How is your mission going?"

Vali looked at the city when he answered, "The first one is already done, we only have to wait for them to make their move…" He saw his rival nod, so he continued, "And the other one is not going so well, there is no sign of the Kraken and we have checked almost everywhere. After here, I'm heading to Russia to see if it's maybe hiding in the frozen waters of the north…" He then looked at Derek and finished with an annoyed tone, "Though, the real problem is your 'beloved' who won't stop nagging me to see you."

Derek just snorted at that, saying, "Yeah, Kuroka does gets relentless when she wants something…" He threw his cigarette away to add, "Just tell her to focus on her mission, tell her that if she does good, I'll give her the first litter."

Vali raised an eyebrow at that, feeling really confused by his fellow dragon's words, so he asked, "I thought you didn't wanted to have kids, what changed your mind?"

Derek just shrugged when he replied dryly, "Not going to be alive for that anyway."

Vali frowned slightly at that, knowing exactly what his rival meant. But not wanting to touch such sensitive subjects when there's still so much to do, the White Dragon Emperor stood up and as his blue wings came to life, he said, "I'll tell her that…" He floated before Derek and added, "Do you have any orders?"

Derek just shook his head when he replied, "No, keep doing what you're doing now but be ready, the time for us to come forth, is close."

Vali smirked fiercely at that, already feeling the adrenaline running through his veins at the mere thought of all the battles to come, "Well then, I'll see you soon…" The silverette smirked as he left some parting words, "Forza Inter."

Derek narrowed his eyes when he replied with a growl, "Get the fuck out of here before I blow you off, you fucking merda."

Vali left chuckling at that, disappearing into the night's sky, leaving Derek alone for some moments before he too disappeared, knowing that there's still much to do in the days to come.

* * *

A handsome black-haired man was walking through a hall with two guards following closely behind. The male was tall and had short slicked hair, a black coat that covered most of his body with a golden dove-shaped pin shining over his attire.

The young man was being escorted towards a big set of double doors that once he walked through, he found himself in an elegant and spacious office. The man smirked when he looked at the only occupant of the room, the most beautiful and sexy woman he has ever seen in his life, her piercing auburn-coloured hair that reached just above her butt, with one strand covering the right side of her beautiful face, leaving only one of her dazzling green eyes to show. Her body was the stuff of legends as it was currently being covered by a pair of tight black jeans, a blue zipped blouse that showed a little bit of her toned stomach, the zipper was down until it showed a little bit of her fantastic cleavage, she was wearing a black leather jacket over it and a pair of black heeled boots.

The stunning woman was currently looking over a stack of papers right next to her desk, she was standing while she eyed the papers and even if she didn't seemed to realise he was here, the man knew she was aware of his presence.

The young man has lost count of how many times has he lusted for this woman, so wanting to prove his luck now, he said, "Hello Mei." He sent her a sexy smirk as he puffed his chest.

He suddenly winced when he felt a knife passing just right beside his face, panicking a little when he felt liquid running down his cheek, no doubt the knife managed to cut his pale skin, "It's 'Lady Terumi' for you, Mr Moretti." The woman said coldly without even looking at him.

The now identified André Moretti gulped at that, feeling really stupid for trying his luck with the woman leading the most secretive and dangerous organization in the world. He knew that she had to be something else if she was capable of frightening the other members, who despite being powerful and dangerous in their own way, have all expressed how truly dangerous the woman was.

But, Moretti had to focus back on the moment when the woman spoke, "I trust that your mission is complete."

André watched as she moved to sit on her chair, leaning back as she locked her dazzling green orbs to him, "Yes m-milady, I'm sure that by now, whoever's behind the UN has received our message."

Mei Terumi smiled slightly at that, making André hold back a grunt due to how sexy the woman was, "Good job Moretti, and people say you're useless." She said it with a small dark giggle.

Moretti did not smiled at the 'compliment' at all, knowing that the moment he stops being useful, he will be swiftly pierced by a bullet and thrown into the closest dustbin. Still, there was something that bothered him, so wanting to clear his doubts, he asked, "Thank you milady, but if I may ask, isn't it dangerous to dare them like that?…" André scratched his scruff as he was unable to hide his fear when he added, "Whoever they are, they have the 'Human God' on their side, if everything I've read of him is true then…"

He was cut off when Mei agreed, "We won't stand a single chance and never will…" She could see that her underling was really shocked to hear her admission, so she explained, "It's stupid to play the tough guy when you have an opponent capable of levelling a whole country and killing millions in the process, more so when he did it in a single day…" She leaned back and continued, "It doesn't matter what we do, if we try to attack him or his family, we will fall, that simple."

Moretti gulped loudly at that, he has only heard rumours and read the reports available about the man named Derek Hamilton, and even if André was not someone afraid of most, he will never deny that the man who earned the moniker of the 'Human God' scared the shit out him, hence why he inquired, "T-Then if it's all true… why dare him?"

Mei breathed in a little before she smiled at her underling to say, "Because I don't plan to antagonize him…" She saw that the man was confused, so added, "I am sure that I can make him… _see…_ our ways."

Moretti immediately understood what his superior was implying, he stopped the frown from showing on his face as he now thought that perhaps, Mei Terumi just wanted to be with the man, trying to impress him by creating such a powerful organization. But not capable of questioning her openly, he nodded as he said, "I understand, do you have another task for me?"

Mei shook her head when she replied, "No, you're dismissed." She watched as the man quickly left the office, feeling annoyed as how he, like every man she's met, tried to find a way into her pants. She knew that she was quite the flirtatious character, but everyone will be surprised to know that she was actually a virgin, she was saving herself for someone special after all.

The woman's pondering was suddenly interrupted when a masculine voice was heard saying from beside her, "You seem quite sure that the… Human God… will fall for you."

Mei turned to look at her right with a small sultry smile, she could not see the man that spoke due to him being covered by the shadows of her office, though she could see the man's jacket covering his face with a hoodie. The woman stood up and walked towards the large window behind her desk, watching over the city as she replied, "Oh, because I am sure that he won't be able to resist me, not when I can't resist him…" She looked straight at the man as she added with a sexy smirk, "After all, whenever I want something, I always get it, yes or yes."

The man stood there without saying a thing, until he snorted and began to walk towards the center of the office while he said, "We'll see."

Mei saw him about to leave, so she walked to the other side of her desk and kneeled to him, saying with her head down, "I want to thank you for this opportunity…" She could feel that the man was looking at her, so she added as she brought her eyes up to him, "I promise you, I will drive Novum towards your goal, no matter what."

The man once again stood frozen, looking at her over his shoulder before he replied, "I know…" He could imagine the small smile forming on the red-head's lips, but he started walking again as he commanded, "The time has come for Russia to be divided, make it happen, once that's done, I'll tell you what's next."

Mei immediately nodded as she replied, "Your wish is my command." She then saw him disappear when he walked out of the room, leaving her once again alone in her office before she stood up and walked towards the window again.

Mei glued her eyes to the lights of the city as she muttered to herself, "You'll see Derek Hamilton, you'll see…" She smiled lovingly at that, knowing that one way or another, she will get what she wants.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, there ya lads have, hope you liked it, next chappie is all about the Raiser fiasco, so see you lads later, cheers!**


	6. The Predator

**A/N: Holy shit, I really thought I was never going to get this chapter done, it's the largest I have ever written, 25k fucking words, sorry it took so long but damn.**

 **A warning, in this chapter, Derek will seem like an absolutely overpowered piece of shit but bear in the mind that as of now, there hasn't truly been an opponent that matched his power. Don't be fooled, remember that Derek discovered his power when he was ten and has been training them ever since, the training he received in the S.A.S. is not something to take lightly either, he is a veteran and the difference with him and other sacred gear users, is that he has completely merged with Ddraig, meaning that he has no limits any more. So bear with me for some more chapters, enemies that will match him will arrive, but not now. If you wonder how is he going to struggle with the plot in the human world then, have no worries, in the human world Derek must followed a different set of rules, he cannot be as unleashed as in the supernatural world because humanity as a whole is not aware of supernatural beings so he has to be as silent as possible, during his adventures in the human world, Derek will simply act as an elite soldier with a lot of flashy power.**

 **As stated before, this fricking chapter took me so long to get done, I was struggling on whether divided it or not, but I settled on making it as long as I could while the next chapter will be shorter, probably just above the 10k mark to wrap up the events of this one fully, so expect the story to be updated sooner.**

 **I think that is it for now, so let's get to it, enjoy!**

"Derek" - Normal Speech.

 _'Derek'_ \- Thought.

 _"Derek"_ \- Derek mentally speaking.

 **"Ddraig"** \- Ddraig/Albion speaking through the Sacred Gears/Divinities talking.

 _ **"Ddraig"**_ \- Ddraig speaking inside Derek's mind.

* * *

 **The Predator**

Derek sighed as he laid on his bed, tired of the day he just had. He had arrived to Luxembourg that morning and was immediately abducted by his three needy mates, Tiamat, Tsubasa and Seekvaria. He took them out to the movies, dinner and lastly, partook in a sex marathon that lasted almost six hours, "Seriously, they're insatiable…" He muttered, a small part of himself wishing they had other mates to cover their needs sometimes, but since they didn't, he wasn't going to fail his own masculinity. Not fully satisfying his women was certainly something the Red Dragon Emperor would find incredibly shameful, it was in his dragon nature to be the best in everything he was doing, no matter what.

It wasn't until some hours ago that the three women finally passed out of pleasure, meaning that Derek finally had the chance to rest a little. Though he didn't liked to sleep too much, too many nightmares his dark and damaged mind stubbornly produced that he wanted to avoid, it was almost as if Derek himself was his own biggest enemy.

The Hamilton's rest was suddenly interrupted however, when a soft red glow suddenly showered his room, alerting him that someone was using a magic circle to transport inside his home and due to the crest he could observe, he knew who was coming.

"D-Derek…" Rias Gremory spoke shyly once she was fully transported into her crush's room, she was only wearing a thin nightgown that did little to cover her naked body underneath it. She had a considerable blush while she walked towards the bed, confusing Derek when she hopped on it and crawled over him, straddling him while she still avoided his gaze, "I w-was hoping you w-were back…" She softly spoke, her heartbeats so loud that even Derek could heard them.

The Hamilton kept his impassive gaze, surprising Rias at how composed and calm the young man was. She knew she was an extremely beautiful and desirable woman, almost every men she's met had trouble keeping their eyes on hers but Derek didn't even seemed to care at all, which definitely bothered the redheaded Princess, "Rias…" Derek said lowly, his uncaring tone as present as ever when he continued, "Mind telling me what's going on?"

Rias bit her lip, nervousness creeping her whole body as she pondered on how to respond. She knew what she had to do, she also knew that it could potentially break her friendship with him because as he once stated, he hated to be played with and she was about to do that. But, she also knew that he desired her, maybe not in a romantic way as she'd like, but as a sexual partner Derek definitely wanted her, so she hoped that the handsome man's lust was greater than his awareness when she responded, not able to hide her coyness, "I-I've been thinking…" She gulped before she continued, "I w-want to experience… new t-things…" She unbuttoned her gown and threw it away after, revealing her perfectly shaped breasts and that she wasn't even wearing panties, her raw vagina was already on top on his clothed limp member, "W-With you…" She finished, turning to look at him for the first time.

She worried when she saw him ignoring her body completely, his eyes focused on hers with a scrutinising gaze that honestly scared her, "What do you mean?" Derek then said, not showing any sort of emotion.

Rias inhaled before she lowered her body sensually, hovering her face above Derek's as she responded while she grinded her hips on his, "I-I want you…" She kissed him on the cheek before she pleaded, "Take me, Derek…" She kissed him on the other cheek then, trying to be as sensual as she could so he would agree, "Take m-my virginity… p-please…"

Rias once again worried when he didn't said or showed anything, that is until his right hand started to travel through her left leg, making her gasp when she felt his soft yet stern hand traveling up her left side, brushing her breast before it settled on her neck.

That is when Rias widened her eyes and gasped in pain when he choked her, scaring her as his eyes turned an eerie icy blue while he spoke without the warmth that was usually hidden whenever he spoke to those he cared about, "You're lying to me, Rias…" His other hand grabbed her leg and clutched it, making sure to cause her pain so that she understood his point, "I told you, I hate lies."

Rias was about to explain herself but couldn't do it before another red glow showered the room, forcing Derek to release his hold on her as she gasped for air, cursing, "D-Dammit… I… I w-was too late…" Rias couldn't even look at Derek, knowing that she had messed up badly.

As Derek focused on the new magic circle that appeared, a woman so beautiful that Derek was willing to bet she was the second finest female he has ever seen suddenly appeared. She was wearing a maid costume and had her grey eyes filled with disappointment while she grabbed the gown that Rias threw before she said, "Really Rias, you're here with this lowborn…" The woman looked disapprovingly at Derek before she turned back to the Gremory heiress to add, "You realise that Sirzechs is going to be terribly disappointed."

Rias was about to reprimand her brother's {Queen} for insulting Derek but she had to suddenly jump out of the bed when the male released a powerful burst of aura aimed straight at the silver-haired woman who was too surprised to do anything.

Grayfia grunted when she was suddenly violently thrown to the wall, recovering almost immediately as she readied her stance, shocked to see that this human was capable of attacking her so openly in the span of a second.

She froze however, when she saw the young man's cold eyes staring straight at her, making her wonder how in the hell was he capable of frightening her even when she knew she was stronger than him, "First, you come unannounced into my home…" Derek spoke, the air around them feeling thick and eerie as he continued, "Then you dare to insult me without reason, in my own home."

Grayfia calmed down after she finally realised who he was, she has never met him in person but she has met his grandfather, Jonathan Hamilton. She straightened up and bowed to him, saying apologetically, "My apologies Lord Hamilton, I was rude and for that I beg your pardon…" She looked up again to introduce herself, "I am Grayfia and I ser…" She couldn't finish however, when Derek spoke angrily.

"I don't give a fuck who you are…" He then turned to look at Rias who immediately shied away from his accusing stare as he said, "I told you Rias, I hate to be played with and yet, you do it again."

Rias looked back at her crush, tears gathering in her eyes as she pleaded, "I k-know… b-but I… I a-am desperate, Derek… p-please… forg…"

Derek cut her off when he ordered them rudely, "Just get out of my house…" He walked towards the window and after he turned his back on the two women, he finished, "I'm too tired for this bull."

Rias just stayed there frozen while Grayfia placed her gown on her shoulders, covering her naked body while the silver-haired female called a magic circle to leave the heir's house. She would be mad at the handsome man for being so rude with her sister-in-law, but she knew that it was mainly her fault that he reacted so violently, they did intruded his home without a care and on top of it, she insulted him without reason. She just hoped that her mistake does not brings some ramification that will affect the already fragile truce between devils and humans.

Derek kept looking at the street from his window, releasing a tired sigh once he felt the two women gone. He was really annoyed right now by Rias' play but despite what it may have appeared, he was not going to hold it against her, he knew very well why she did it but even if she did had a good reason, it pissed him off that she didn't seemed to understand that all she had to do was ask and he might consider it.

The door of the bathroom inside his room then opened, a naked and slightly soaked Seekvaria walking out of it with an amused smirk on her pretty face. Tsubasa had to go back to her home because she had things to do with her peerage while Tiamat had to go back to the Underworld as there were some Rating Games programmed for the night, leaving the Agares heiress alone with their shared mate.

She walked towards her fiancé, wrapping her arms around his torso while she rested her chin on his shoulder, kissing his neck before she said, "You didn't had to be so rude to them, you know?" There were times she wondered why was Derek so unnecessarily rude, but she was so used to it by now that she really no longer cared.

Derek just grunted, responding while keeping his eyes on the darkened street, "I'm in no mood for bratty princesses."

Seekvaria gulped, knowing that she too might become the target of his anger once she tells him her deal with the Gremory, "S-She's just desperate, my love…" She grabbed his face and turned it around, kissing him lovingly before she continued, "You don't know Raiser, that bastard is just a cocky glorified rapist, you can't blame Rias for trying everything in her power to break the forced marriage."

Derek kept his blues as icy as they could when he said back, "Yeah well, it's not my problem…" He walked towards the bed, ignoring the disapproving glance his soon-to-be-wife sent him, "If she wanted my help, she could've just said so instead of trying to insult my intelligence."

Seekvaria inhaled, looking at the ground as she muttered a whisper, "W-Well… about that…"

Derek observed the blonde while he narrowed his eyes at her, feeling the woman's nervousness when he questioned, "What did you do, Seekvaria?" His voice did not held anger though, only annoyance. No matter how much he tried, he could just not be completely angry at this woman, or any of his women at that.

The Agares heiress gulped loudly, steeling her resolve while she walked towards the bed and sat beside the heir, hoping that she could make a good enough case so that he agrees to help Rias. She just hoped he won't get mad at her for this, despite knowing that he will never hurt her without a good reason, she did not wanted to piss her fiancé off.

* * *

"S-So…" Rias whispered as she sat on her chair inside the ORC, her peerage present in the room as well as Grayfia and Seekvaria who was sitting on the couch drinking tea as her {Queen} diligently stood behind her. They were all waiting for Raiser to show up as there was supposedly something that Grayfia wanted to discuss with them, but right now all Rias could think of was Derek. She knew she messed up badly last night, she spent the whole night crying, already giving up on their friendship, "Is h-he… really m-mad?…" She questioned his fiancée, no matter how hard she tried to convince herself that she had lost, both her freedom and him, her heart still refused to let the hope go.

Seekvaria sipped her tea and sighed deeply, replying, "He's not angry, Rias…" The red-head visibly calmed down a little at that before the Agares continued, "If he was angry, he would have probably killed you…" Everyone gulped at that, remembering the biggest warning the Agares gave to all of them regarding the Hamilton, which was that under no circumstance should they anger him, "He's just annoyed, mostly because of Grayfia here." She sent an amused smirk at the silver-haired woman, surprised to see her slightly blushing in embarrassment.

"I s-shall apologise to him whenever I see him again…" Grayfia said to the Agares heiress, she was the man's fiancée so she directed the genuine regret over her mistake towards her, knowing that her wrongful words could cause a rift between their species. Despite knowing that it hurt her pride, she could not deny that right now, humanity could destroy the devils. The tables have turned and it was now the Devils that mostly licked the Humans' boots to be in their good graces, "It was incredibly rude of me." She finished her sentence.

Seekvaria just chuckled, a dismissive wave of her hand showing as she said, "Relax, he actually hates apologies…" The blonde sipped her tea before she added, "Just don't ever insult him without reason again, Derek cares not about titles or positions, he only cares about respect, so respect him and he will respect you, simple as that." The Agares smiled slightly when she saw Grayfia nodding at that.

Rias' voice suddenly won the Agares' attention back when the red-head spoke, "If h-he's not mad…" She looked at Seekvaria with hopeful eyes, "Is he c-coming?" Rias couldn't deny the fact that she needed him. Despite his cold exterior, over the past months he's been here she has learned a lot of him, she now was capable of distinguishing his demeanour when he was around people he didn't cared about and people he did, and while she wished he behaved with her as tender as he does with Tsubasa, she still found it comforting to know that he did softened his gaze over her, he was the only capable of making her feel truly safe.

Seekvaria sighed again after the question, not really knowing if he'd show. He was really annoyed last night when she told him what she'd done, going as far as to say that he felt betrayed. She was really hurt by those words but kept quiet, understanding that she had earned them, but she was then surprised when he sighed deeply and laid on the bed, bringing her down with him. He didn't said a word after that, apparently falling asleep, but with an incredibly happy smile on her face and some tears of love gathered in her eyes, she understood that it was his way of apologising for the hurtful word, his way of letting her know that he loved her as much as she did him. It was in that sort of moments that she remembers why she withstood so much to stake her claim on him.

So smiling slightly, Seekvaria trusted her soon-to-be-husband and said, "He has football practice, but I am sure he will come."

Rias smiled widely at that, hope filling her heart once again as she thought that maybe Derek will agree to help her. Her hope suddenly almost banished though, when the sound of a bird chirping was heard, a burst of flames at the corner of the ORC's clubroom before the figure of a young handsome man appeared, a cocky smirk on his face when he said, "Ah, my lovely Rias…" Raiser walked a little forward, a possessive tone as he added, "Raiser has come for you, my love."

"Raiser." Rias spat in between gritted teeth, her aura flaring dangerously since she couldn't hide the hate he felt towards the man. He might be seen as an exciting young prospect to the rest of the devils but those that knew him well, like her, knew that he was an arrogant bastard, almost reaching god complex levels of self-absorbance. He was also known to demean his servants, treating them as mere sex toys, it made Rias wonder what happened to him because he wasn't always like that, he had always been cocky but he wasn't an abuser before.

Raiser looked around the room, surveying Rias' peerage, licking his lips when he watched Rias' {Queen} while she served him some tea. He then raised an eyebrow when he saw Seekvaria there, "Seekvaria? What are you doing here?" He asked, still incredibly sore for her rejection. Her warning still lingered in his head too, he didn't knew why but something was practically screaming at him to heed her words, but he immediately dismissed the feeling, he was a Phenex, and immortal legendary creature that could not be destroyed.

Seekvaria showed clear disgust at the man when she answered, "I certainly didn't came here to see you, little bird…" She smirked at the annoyed glint the male sent her, adding, "I was just visiting my dear fiancé."

Raiser narrowed his eyes at that, asking, "Where is he?"

Seekvaria chuckled at the clear jealousy, stating, "My, my, Raiser, you came here for 'your' Rias and yet, you're getting jealous for another woman, how low of you."

Raiser controlled himself, he definitely wanted to rip that amused smirk off of Seekvaria's face but Grayfia was here, and she was someone that he not only admired for her beauty, but feared her power as well, he knew his limits well after all, despite not being many, "Rias…" He said after a scoff, "Let's go, this world disgusts me." He scrunched his face as if he had smelled something foul.

Rias stood up, walking to stand before the man to reply heatedly, "I am not going anywhere with you, Raiser…" She scoffed while she flicked her crimson hair, adding, "My father and brother are rushing things too much."

Raiser just sighed, already tired of the woman's whining, she belonged to him and he couldn't wait to drill that into her head, "Rias, you're in no position to deny our marriage…" He caressed her hair slightly, Rias immediately moving away as he added with a smirk, "It is for the good of our species after all."

"I will marry…" Rias said then, earning a triumphant smirk from Raiser that immediately fell when she added, "But not you, you disgust me Raiser, the mere thought of sharing a room with you disturbs my very core."

"Rias." Raiser whispered heatedly, fire coating his hand as he felt his patience leaving him already, she was coming with him whether she wanted to or not.

Grayfia saw that both heirs were starting to lose their restraint, so knowing that she had to intervene, she released a burst of her power, immediately silencing both quarrelling youngsters, "That is enough, Lady Rias, Lord Raiser."

Rias sighed as she tried to control herself while Raiser just snorted angrily, stating, "Even Raiser has to relent when the Queen of Annihilation orders him to."

Grayfia ignored the man in order to say, "Since Lord Lucifer knew that this matter was not going to be resolved peacefully, he proposed a Rating Game between you two in order to resolve the issue."

Rias smirked at that, finding her opportunity, she just hoped that Derek would arrive soon.

Raiser for his part just scoffed at the notion, stating, "Why should Raiser accept? Raiser is not obliged to and the marriage has already been decided by the elders of our families…" He smirked smugly then when he added, "Milord can do many things, but breaking our traditions is not one of them."

Grayfia narrowed her eyes, despising the man's arrogance. Rias just felt her heart breaking when she realised that too, Raiser could just deny the proposition and use the elders to push the marriage forward, there was no way to free herself now.

Fortunately for her though, Raiser was an incredibly greedy man, mostly when it came to women, so Seekvaria knowing how to push his buttons, said, "What if I sweeten the deal for you, Raiser?"

Everybody turned to look at the Agares heiress, confusion written in everyone's faces. Raiser narrowed his eyes at the woman when he inquired, "And how would you do that?"

Seekvaria just sexily crossed her luscious legs, smirking when he saw Raiser's eyes immediately moving to them as she responded, "Simple, if you win, Rias has to marry you…" He nodded at her to continue, "AND… you get ME too." She added with a sexy smirk, pushing her bountiful breasts a little to entice the man even more.

Everyone widened their eyes in shock after the blonde spoke, nobody could believe that she was willing to bet herself just to give Rias a chance.

Raiser licked his lips though, already dreaming of all the things he will do to both heiresses once he had them in his possession. He ignored the voice in his head screaming at him that he was falling into trap when he said, a cocky smirk on his face, "Well now, how can Raiser say no to that?" He looked over Seekvaria's body lustfully, not even caring to be concealed.

Rias was about to tell Seekvaria that she didn't had to do it but the woman spoke again, a smug smirk of her own showing, "Ah… but there IS a catch…" Raiser narrowed his eyes at that when she continued, "If you lose, your WHOLE peerage goes to my fiancé." Seekvaria hid the triumphant roar she felt doing, loving the influence her beloved had on her. It was only because of all the things he had taught her that she learned to be so manipulatively smooth, needing only a glance at someone to know their buttons and how to press them correctly.

Raiser did stopped to think for a second, looking behind the couch Seekvaria was sitting on to where Rias' peerage stood. He couldn't really see anyone who could defeat him and his peerage, the delicious {Queen} was strong, but not enough to defeat him, "You seem to be very sure of Rias' chances." He said, despite the smirk on his face, he had a feeling he just fucked himself badly.

Seekvaria chuckled haughtily at that, sipping her tea before she said, "That is because my beloved is playing too, in fact…" She turned towards the door before she declared, "He's already here."

Everyone turned to the door as it opened, two handsome men walking through it, with the black-haired one sniffing the air and saying as he looked around the room, "Eww… why it smells like chicken?" Aleister made a disgusted scrunch as if religiously hating the smell.

Everyone but Raiser quietly snickered at the cheerful young man's words, feeling Raiser's irritation as Derek and his lackey moved towards the window, Derek immediately focusing on the outside seemingly not caring about anything at all but the very fact that he was here, made Rias' heart jump with joy.

"Who are you, vermin?" Raiser questioned the blackette hatefully, flaring his power over him as he tried to silently tell the young boy who was the boss in the room. But much to his surprise, the boy didn't even seemed to tickle.

It was Seekvaria the one that answered as she walked towards the blackette, "This is Aleister Thompson…" She then walked towards her silverette lover and after kissing his shoulder lovingly, she added with a smirk, "And this is my beloved, Derek." She purposefully left his last name out, Raiser will recognise the name and she wanted him to be as overconfident as ever.

Raiser narrowed his eyes at the silver-haired male who hadn't even spared him a look, irritating the Phenex before he snorted and responded, "He doesn't looks like much." He DID looked like much, but Raiser refused to acknowledge that.

Seekvaria just shrugged, saying, "Then there is no reason for you to refuse, right? After all…" She wiggled her body sensually before she finished, "The rewards outweigh the risks."

Raiser immediately fell for the sensuality of the heiress, licking his lips again before he laughed loudly as he snapped his fingers, a large magical red circle appearing by his side that after it glowed, showed a set of fifteen beautiful women, all but one standing stiffly and ready to be commanded.

The Phenex frowned for a second when the silverette male didn't even turned to look at them, but he changed the frown for a smirk as he turned to Rias and said, "Raiser has a perfect set of powerful servants, Rias… you on the other hand…" He looked at Rias' peerage and declared, "Only have five weak servants…" He eyed the females before he added, "But don't worry, once Raiser marries Rias, he will make sure to _properly_ train you, my dears."

The females in Rias' peerage shivered in disgust as the man leered on them, not hiding the thoughts he was having of them at the moment. Grayfia feeling disgusted herself, decided to end this now before it got worse, "Then it's decided, since Lady Rias has never been in a Rating Game, a period of seven days has been set, in a week from now, Lady Rias and Lord Raiser will battle."

Rias nodded at that, she might be feeling nervous but the fact that Derek was here, silently telling her that he will help, made her heart beat again, she did had a chance and she knew it.

Raiser just snickered, saying, "Very well then, I'll just leave you a little taste of what's to come…" He turned to look at one of his servants, a young blue-haired girl wearing a white haori with a red coat over it, a wooden staff on her hands as she stood ready, "Mira, do it." Raiser ordered her as he eyed Derek.

The now identified Mira nodded at her master, moving with incredible speeds as she made to harm the handsome silverette.

Rias and her peerage panicked a little since they were too slow to intervene but just before Grayfia could move, everybody gasped in shock when in a second, the girl named Mira was suddenly stopped just some steps away from Derek.

"Move and you die." Aleister spoke with such coldness that it made everyone shiver. It was incredible to see the usually cheerful young man acting almost as cold as Derek, who hadn't even moved from his spot. Aleister was currently holding Mira's arms tightly while a sharp military knife was just millimetres away from Mira's eye, aimed straight at her frontal lobe. The bluenette was incredibly shocked and afraid by the inhuman strength that the blackette possessed.

Raiser hated himself right now for widening his eyes and showing his shock, he hated to admit it but he never even saw the black-haired boy move. Mira was one of his fastest servants and this boy stopped her and placed her under a mortal grip in a matter of seconds, " _Huff…_ Seems like your _servant_ is more powerful than you." He scoffed as he tried to rile the silverette up.

Everyone then had the shock of their lives when Raiser suddenly grunted as he was violently trapped in between the wall and Derek's forearm pressing tightly on his throat, making Raiser gasp as he stared straight at the deadly icy blues of the silverette in front of him, hating himself again for actually feeling a shiver running down his spine.

Nobody could move due to the shock, only able to observe as Derek leered closer to Raiser's pained face to say, "Had Aleister not stopped her, you would have already lost a… _servant…_ " He spat the word, he hated it, "I only use my hands to either please my women…" Seekvaria shivered delightfully at that, drawing jealous glances from some females gathered, "Or to kill… I don't spar, I don't taunt, I don't try to intimidate my opponents with pointless violence…" He pressed on Raiser's throat harder, the Phenex not able to understand how was Derek so strong, "If you fight me, you better be prepared to either kill me or die."

Derek then punched Raiser on the gut with such strength that it made the Phenex male vomit blood, now free to fall on his knees as he tried to recover his breath from such incredible hit.

A young woman with long blond hair tied in two twister-like ponytails suddenly ran towards the downed Phenex, not daring to look at the scary yet handsome silverette as he spoke to Raiser, "The date has been set, Fried Chicken; refuse to honour it, try to sabotage it or outright back out now and your whole species will suffer the consequences." Derek looked straight at Grayfia who nodded with a gulp, understanding that now this whole mess had become a political affair between devils and humans.

Derek smirked inwardly as he observed the frightened gazes from the people in the room, Raiser's peerage was so shocked and wary of him that despite wanting to protect their master, they didn't currently had the courage to move. But it all worked out for him in the end, Derek now had a way to deliver his grandfather's message to the devils and he will free Rias in the process.

Raiser looked at Derek, trying to show a scary face but when he saw that it had no effect on the silverette whatsoever, he just stood up and inhaled, pushing the young girl who tried to aid him before to say heatedly, "We will see each other in the battlefield." He suddenly disappeared along with his peerage, hating the fact that he had just been humiliated by the silverette.

The room stayed quiet for some moments before Rias tried to run towards Derek and embrace him, but she stopped when he started walking towards the door, saying without looking back, "Aleister is going to get you all in shape, you're pathetic as you are now…" He opened the door and left some partings words, "I have things to do so I'll see you later."

Rias immediately deflated at that, feeling hurt for the rudeness, but she swallowed it for now, she definitely deserved it and even so, he was going to help her, there was nothing more that she could ask of him, at least not now.

Aleister winced at his boss' usual harshness, seeing how hurt the beautiful redheaded woman felt, so trying to cheer her up, he claimed, "Hey don't worry! The Boss' just grumpy because someone actually managed to nutmeg him during football practice… haha…" Rias and the rest did chuckled at that, the tension suddenly lowering.

The Agares heiress sighed deeply before she said with a smirk, "Now Rias, this is your chance…" Rias nodded at her, eyes filled with fire and determination, "You all just have to make sure to impress Derek during your training… in fact…" She smirked before she finished "I'm going to help Aleister train you."

Everyone in Rias' peerage smiled at that, though there was a roll of sweat running down their foreheads. Aleister might look goofy, but the display of prowess he just gave them was enough to tell them that they were all in for a rough ride, but if it helped their master to be free, they would take it all in in stride.

* * *

"Wow…" Rias muttered as she looked around. She and her peerage had been brought to a NATO military facility in a small town right at the border of Luxembourg by Aleister and Seekvaria. Rias originally wanted to train in one of her family's estates but since Aleister was supposed to train them as the military did, they had to ask the Government to allow them to use the facility, "This place is enormous." She finished her thought when she looked at the vast green field that surrounded them, a big Victorian-styled house at the distance that served as the soldiers' quarters, though it was currently unoccupied to allow them privacy, the perks of being close to the higher ups of the military she guessed.

Rias was wearing a red tracksuit, just like the rest of her peerage who were all currently stretching their bodies since Aleister had told them that he wanted to spar with them before beginning their training. She wished that Derek was the one training them but he couldn't be away from the football team too much, he was a professional player so he had a contract to fulfil, though he did said he'll come.

Aleister's voice suddenly won the redhead's attention to where he stood alongside Seekvaria who had offered her aid as well, the two of them were wearing tracksuits too, surprising Rias because she didn't thought that Seekvaria was one for physical combat, "Yeah, you may haven't noticed, but everyone back in town were soldiers, this whole village is run by Luxembourg's military…" He gestured around them as he continued, "But this compound is run by NATO; since the Boss is a four-star rank, he was able to secure the station for the week."

Asia then timidly raised her hand, prompting the blackette to nod at her to ask, "S-Sorry but… what is a 'f-four-star rank'?"

Thompson saw that everyone but Seekvaria shared the same question, they were clearly uninformed when it came to humanity, so he explained, "A four-star rank officer refers to the Generals of each country's military, they are the highest ranking officers during times of peace and have the power to command the whole army."

Rias and her peerage all widened their eyes at that, shock running through their bodies as she said, "Satan… I didn't knew he was so… powerful…" She had thought that Derek was just an elite soldier and nothing more, not a fricking General. Now she realised how close to fuck everything up for her kind she was when she tried to force him into her peerage.

Seekvaria knew why the Gremory had that shocked face, so she commented, "You did dodged a bullet, no, a nuke, Rias…" She giggled as Rias nodded dumbly, "In the UK, Derek is the fifth most powerful person, the first being his grandfather, the second the Queen, the third his uncle who's also NATO's Supreme Allied Commander and the fourth being Sir Evelyn de Rothschild…" She breathed in as she finished her explanation, "If a global conflict breaks out, Derek steps in NATO as a five-star General, meaning that he is one of the leaders in a potential world war."

Aleister then added, pride fervently obvious in his voice, "Yup! Despite his young age, the Boss is one of the most accomplished and decorated soldiers in the world! He's as respected as he is feared!"

The Gremory all awed in unison, it seemed so surreal but it made sense, Derek was always busy with something and despite never really asking him, they have all witnessed suspicious black cars following him around, now they realised that they were his escorts.

"With that said…" Seekvaria spoke while she developed a lecturer stance, "Your objective for this week is to be ready for when he comes to spar you."

Everyone tilted their heads at that, with Akeno asking, "Didn't he said that he never sparred?"

Aleister nodded, explaining, "That is partially true, the Boss has really only sparred against the rest of Ghosts, his mentor, his apprentice and Seekvaria…" He then placed a finger on his chin as he mumbled, "I think he also once sparred with Alivian…" He had a faint memory that Derek once sparred with Seekvaria's {Queen}, seeing that he was a dragon it was understandable why he would agree to it, "You are lucky that he agreed." He finished with a smile that fell when Seekvaria said.

"Not really…" The Agares giggled, looking at the Gremory with pity when she added, "Derek does not hold back, he usually stops only when you're practically in a coma…" She smirked as she saw the Gremory paling, "The only way to avoid really gruesome injuries is to impress him enough, that is your objective."

Aleister then said after everyone nodded, determined looks on their faces, "Don't make the foolish mistake of thinking that the Boss will focus on you individually, he will test you as a team…" Rias and the rest widened their eyes when the blackette then said as he prepared his stance, motioning them to come with his hand when he spoke with a challenging smirk on his face, "So come at me with everything you've got, as a team!"

Rias immediately changed her face while she jumped back, grabbing Asia with her as her peerage fell in formation, "Webber, Koneko." The swordsman and the tiny girl nodded at their {King}, already knowing what to do.

Seekvaria jumped away since she wanted to observe the Gremory, seeing how Koneko was the first one to attack Aleister while Michael disappeared from sight. She could see that their plan was to force Aleister to dodge Koneko's attack in order to push him somewhere else where Michael will then seize his speed to intercept Aleister.

Aleister knew that as well though, and he surprised them all when he suddenly grabbed Koneko's fist. He wasn't stronger than the white-haired girl but he didn't needed to be stronger than her to redirect her fist towards the ground, forcing the girl to smash the soil and destroy the path that Michael was travelling on, making him trip on the rubble.

Aleister then hit Koneko's throat, minding not to use deadly force since she could easily have her wind-pipe destroyed by the move, she only fell unconscious once he touched her. Aleister then jumped back and used his knee to hit the back of Michael's face, successfully knocking him out as well.

"W-What the…" Rias whispered, her mouth as wide as it could after she watched her two servants being knocked out in a matter of seconds.

"Oh m-my." Akeno muttered while she felt her body heating up, she couldn't deny that the impressive show of strength from the blackette was incredibly sexy to see. She had only seen him goofing around, he didn't seemed like a dangerous opponent at all, but seeing his prowess now made her wonder just how truly strong Derek was, he was Aleister's leader and for what the blackette once said, Derek was his mentor too.

"Focus!" Seekvaria then roared at the three remaining women who were still shocked by Aleister's strength.

Aleister was allowing them to make a move and they knew it, but already having lost two members, Rias nodded at Akeno who nodded back before she flew off, her body covered by lightning that after a roar, was released straight at Aleister with incredible speeds.

The Gremory were surprised when the blackette didn't even moved, Akeno's attack hitting him dead on, throwing a lot of rocks all over the place while smoke covered where he stood.

Akeno worried for a second that she might have overdone it but her worry then turned to shock when a fierce roar was heard, a wolf-like creature suddenly appearing from the smoke as it leaped straight at Akeno.

The black-haired female was so shocked by the sight that she was unable to stop Aleister's powerful hit, his fist painfully connecting with her stomach, making her vomit blood before she suddenly lost consciousness, falling straight to the ground with a resounding thud.

Aleister landed after Akeno, growling menacingly at both Rias and Asia while the redheaded questioned with a shocked face, "Y-You're… y-you're…"

Aleister was semi-covered in fur, the sides of both his face and torso had grey fur while the centre of his body was still normal skin, though he no longer had his jacket covering his perfectly trained torso. His hair and eyebrows elongated while his eyes turned an eerie glowing yellow, his teeth sharp as claws when he spoke with a gruffly voice, "A werewolf."

Rias then gasped when he suddenly disappeared and she then felt sharp claws touching the back of her neck, a powerful punch suddenly reaching her back, enough to make her vomit blood before she fell on the ground, the lights going out inside her mind.

Asia stood agape, not able to move due to the fear of seeing all of her peerage already out. Aleister just growled as he closed in on the cute blonde menacingly, his face almost touching hers when he said, "Boo."

Asia just yelped before she too lost consciousness, her innocent heart not capable of withstanding any more stress.

The agent known as GhostTwo just sighed disappointedly while his body went back to normal, Seekvaria appearing by his side with his jacket, questioning as she gave it to him, "Underwhelmed?" She would mock her fellow heiress' performance, had it not been for the fact that she and her peerage too failed as miserably as the Gremory on their first training under Derek.

"Underwhelmed indeed…" Aleister replied dryly before he moved to check on all of them, saying to his boss' fiancée, "Can you help me taking them to the house? They're going to need a good rest because for what I saw, there is a lot for me to do before Derek comes here."

Seekvaria just giggled at that while she nodded, knowing that her beloved will be greatly annoyed by the current strength the Gremory showed. With that said, she and Aleister took Rias and her peerage back to the house, Aleister thinking on their schedule while Seekvaria just thought of her mate, missing him already and hoping that he gets here as soon as he could.

* * *

"Alright now, please, explain." Rias questioned the sheepish blackette while she massaged her sore back, some of the pain from their one sided spar still lingering on her buxom body. She and her peerage woke up just some moments ago after being unconscious for almost six hours, but as soon as everyone was awoke, Seekvaria called for them to be in the house's dining hall, where they would partake in the first step of their training.

Aleister just chuckled, scratching his scruff as he satisfied the Gremory's curiosity, "Well, there is not really much to explain…" He sighed when he leaned on the wall behind him, continuing, "I am a werewolf, plain and simple."

Koneko shivered a little as her feline instincts made their presence known, the natural dislike for canines showing itself. She managed to suppress it though because she liked Aleister, he was a good and funny guy, "A-Aren't werewolves supposed t-to live in packs?" The white-haired girl questioned, tying hard to hide her true nature from the werewolf.

Aleister focused on the girl, sniffing unnoticedly to try and answer a question he's had ever since he first shared a room with the girl. He managed to catch the distinctive scent of a nekomata, surprised when he managed to discern that she was not only a feline yōkai, but she was a nekoshō, making him wonder if she was related to the only other nekoshō he's met, "They are, but I'm an exiled." He answered, a slight hint of sadness filling his voice.

Everyone caught that hint well, so they all decided to change the subject, seeing that the young man was starting to feel uncomfortable. Seekvaria wanting to start the session, began, "Getting back on track, I called you all here because I wanted to explain your schedules as well as giving little Asia here an introduction to Devil's society…" Seeing the annoyed glance that Rias sent to her, probably because she already covered that herself, Seekvaria sighed before she continued, "I know you already did that, Rias, what I want to do is make her understand how devils get stronger."

Rias just nodded with a sigh, understanding now hitting her. Asia for her part just gulped before she inquired shyly, "U-Umm… excuse me… w-what do you mean with that?"

Aleister smiled tenderly at the blonde, he really liked her innocence and gentleness, but mostly her incredible heart of gold. It was refreshing for him to see someone like that since in his line of work, the closest he's ever got to see someone gentle was with Vanessa Jones, and she had her fair share of sins. But shaking his head to rid his mind of unnecessary thoughts for now, he responded, "What Seekvaria meant, Asia, is that you need to learn how to fight…" He saw her gulp, "I know it frightens you but while your role is to be the team's medic, you cannot always rely on someone else to protect you, there will be situations where you will need to defend yourself; I am not going to make you a fighter, I will merely teach you how to properly defend yourself for most situations."

Asia inhaled at that, jitters invading her body as she feared the situations where she would have to fight. She knew that Aleister was right, despite the fact that her group will surely do everything in their power to protect her, there might someday be a situation where they will all be preoccupied, leaving them unable to guard her. But she has never fought a single person in her life, not even verbally, so one could forgive her for nodding meekly while saying with a whisper, "I-I understand."

Aleister just sighed as he saw the girl's shaking body, knowing that he was going to have to focus on her the most. She was the weakest link and as such, she was the one that needed to be brought up to speed as soon as possible.

Seekvaria then spoke, "With that out of the way…" She focused on the blonde ex-nun to ask, "How much do you know about Lucifer Morningstar?"

The other devils raised their eyebrows at that, not understanding where the Agares was going. Asia just gulped before she answered timidly, "U-Umm… only t-that he was… the f-first devil… the one that c-created them all…"

Seekvaria nodded, saying, "Correct, though he was much more…" She sat on a chair before she continued, "Our magnificent Lord Lucifer was not only the first devil, but he was the epitome of what it means to be a devil…" She saw Asia's inquisitive gaze, even Rias and her peerage seemed to be confused, so she kept going, "As the centuries went by, the quality of devils started to lower significantly; the very first generation of devils, the one created by Lord Morningstar, was almost as strong as him, specifically the original Leviathan, Asmodeus and Beelzebub who went on to rule the Devils alongside Lord Lucifer…" She sipped some of her tea before she continued, "But the next generation grew spoiled and arrogant, something that became a trend as time moved on; as generations came, the vision Lord Lucifer had for us, all but disappeared…" The Agares sighed, finishing, "Lord Morningstar stood for power, knowledge and loyalty, while the newer devils stand for greed, arrogance and lust."

Everyone stared at Seekvaria in rapt attention, Rias had never truly thought about such a thing but now that she did, she could see the immense truth in the Agares' words, devils have certainly fell a lot from the standard set by the great Lucifer Morningstar.

Asia then said, "Y-You… he s-sounds like… a remarkable man…" Never in her life had she thought that she would ever speak those words, but she couldn't describe it any other way. The way the Agares portrayed the first devil as, made him look like a truly incredible man.

"He was." Rias whispered, pride over the first of her kind clear in her voice, no devil was capable of denying the greatness of that man, he made them all after all.

"But then…" Asia then spoke, a rare moment of boldness that prompted her to question without thinking, "Why d-did he attacked God?" She might not know much about devils, but she knew a lot about her side, so the war that was fought before was something known to her.

Seekvaria smirked, stating, "Atta girl, that is a fantastic question…" She leaned back on her seat, knowing that not many people knew the true reason for the war, "I once asked my father the very same thing and his answer really shook me…" She sighed before she threw a query, "Do any of you know if Lord Morningstar had a father?"

Only Rias knew, she was a noble devil after all, something like that was engraved in her brain practically sine the moment that she developed rational thinking, "He did, God was his father."

Asia widened her eyes at that, the rest of her fellow peerage feeling surprised as well, "What?" Michael muttered, greatly bewildered by the revelation.

Seekvaria chuckled before she said, "My, I'm surprised so many of you didn't know but…" She shifted in her seat a little, "Yes, God was Lord Morningstar's father."

Asia was agape, whispering, "I never knew that t-the Lord h-had children."

Rias was the one that said, "He actually had four."

Asia's eyes went even wider after that, listening as Seekvaria listed them, "Lucifer was the oldest one and after him, Uriel came, then Rizevim followed and lastly, Jesus Christ."

"Jesus… i-is… Lucifer's b-brother?…" Asia questioned, her brain working overtime to keep her consciousness up, this was being almost too much for her.

Seekvaria nodded, replying, "Yes… while all the Angels were created by him, only those four inherited his blood, what we call the 'Elder Blood'."

Akeno moved closer to the front, having a question of her own, "I have heard that term before but whenever I've asked about it, no one really seems to want to answer, can you tell me what it is?"

Seekvaria looked at Rias who just shrugged, not really knowing herself either, "Well, the reason for why nobody wants to answer that is because it's considered a taboo, the ones with the elder blood were responsible for the war after all, mainly Rizevim."

Rias did not knew that, so she asked, "I thought that it was Lord Morningstar the one that started the war."

Seekvaria shook her head at that, silently thanking her father for giving her the books where the truth was written, "The war against Heaven and God was basically a giant attempt to win God's attention; Rizevim was so obsessed with being the better son that when Lucifer parted ways with God, he followed behind him, knowing that only as a devil he would be capable of growing stronger…" She sipped her tea again before she added, "He did grew stronger, as strong as Uriel, so he manipulated Leviathan, Asmodeus and Beelzebub into declaring war, leaving Lucifer with no other option than to fight himself once God got involved."

Rias then commented, "But for what I know, Rizevim died before Lucifer did."

Seekvaria nodded at that, "Yeah he did, he died because while he was the second strongest devil, just behind Lucifer, he still did not possessed the Morningstar's greatest ability."

Everyone but Rias were confused at that, with the redheaded woman whispering, "The Eyes of Creation."

Seeing the confused gazes of the rest of the devils, Seekvaria nodded and explained, "Correct, the 'Eyes of Creation'… those eyes were the reason for why God was capable of creating Angels, they basically allow him to create whatever he desires, as well as grant him a whole set of abilities that no one truly know how far they go…" She inhaled before she added, "Rizevim might have been powerful thanks to his elder blood, but besides God, only Lucifer and Uriel inherited them, it was Uriel the one that killed Rizevim."

The reincarnated devils awed at the tale, with Rias adding, "And Lord Morningstar was the one that killed Uriel."

Seekvaria hummed, stating after, "And at the end, God was the one that killed Lucifer."

"Amazing…" Akeno muttered, finding the tale extraordinarily haunting, "And it was all because of Rizevim's daddy issues?"

Seekvaria chuckled, nodding as she said, "Basically, Rizevim was jealous of his elder brothers, he wanted to prove to God that he was the best, so he tried to kill them all, God included…" She then focused on Asia to add, "The point of this tale, Asia, is that you have to try to be a devil like Lucifer, not like Rizevim; nowadays most devils follow the path that Rizevim took but that is why our species is at risk right now, you need to draw strength not from pride, lust or greed, but from knowledge and loyalty…" She then huffed before she finished, "Heck, if you want a perfect role model, you should strive to be someone like Derek."

Asia tilted her head at that, confusion shared by everyone, "W-Why?" The blonde inquired.

Seekvaria chuckled before she explained, "Think about it, with everything I've said to you, you must've realised that I basically just described Derek…" Everyone widened their eyes as the Agares continued, "He doesn't play with his enemies, he respects everyone before a fight, he's calm, wise and collected at all times, he protects those he cares for but he is not hesitant to show his brutality when needed, he also doesn't hide his desires and lives solely to do as he wishes, that is the perfect definition of a true devil."

Asia and the rest awed at that, nodding without a doubt that the Agares woman was in fact correct. It made Rias see Derek in a whole new light, one that pushed her into his orbit even more than she already was.

Seeing that Seekvaria had finished her speech, Aleister spoke again, "You understand then, Asia?…" The cute blonde yelped a little before she nodded timidly, prompting the blackette to continue, "Alright then, let me tell you of your schedule…" He grabbed a piece of paper and began, staring at Rias, "Rias, Seekvaria will spend the whole week training you how to strategize and draw your pieces' powers as efficiently as possible, she will also teach you how to improvise on the go and overall better your judgment under a dangerous situation…" Rias nodded at that, determination filling her blue eyes, "Akeno, since overall you are the best of them all, you don't really need much training… but for the way that you engaged me in our spar, I could deduce that your weakness is ground combat, we need to change that, you may not always be able to rely on your wings…" Akeno frowned but nodded at that, surprised to see Aleister deducing her weakness with such accuracy, "Michael, during this week, we will be working in strengthening your legs; as a knight, you are already almost perfect but your biggest weakness is your feet, they are too weak and fragile…" Michael sighed as he nodded, accepting the criticism, "Koneko, as a rook, you are perfect as well…" He saw the girl wincing at that, giving Aleister the idea that she did not wished to use the true power he knew she held, "But because you are a perfect rook, it also means that the moment someone encloses you in a tight spot, you will become useless, we need to work on your speed and reflexes…" The white-haired girl nodded slightly at that, her face as impassive as ever, but Aleister knew that something bothered her, "And Asia, you are the one with which I'll work the most, I need to teach you how to defend yourself, we need to work on your strength, stamina and resistance, all the while you also train your Sacred Gear."

Seekvaria chuckled when everyone gulped, standing up to say, "You should get rid of those frowns, Derek will come during the week and he will give you some time alone with him guiding you…" The eyes of everyone lit up at that, making Seekvaria chuckle again at how much they all respected her fiancé, "So give it your all, remember, you only have seven days to be strong enough to defeat Raiser, it will not be easy, but it is not impossible either."

Everyone nodded at that, fire burning in each Gremory set of eyes as they all vowed to do their best for their {King}. Rias not only had to get as strong as she could to earn her freedom, she also had to prove herself to the one she yearned for, Derek valued strength above all and thus, she was not going to be a weakling on his eyes.

* * *

Aleister sighed as he waited for Derek at the entrance of the manor. It has been five days since he brought the Gremory to NATO's compound and while they have certainly grown a lot in strength, he still thought they could do better.

Rias had learned a lot from Seekvaria on these past days, the two have spent almost every day in the library since Rias didn't really needed to grow physically stronger, she will never be a physical fighter. The redheaded woman needed to train her brain, her fortitude and decision making, mostly under pressure since it is then that leaders are truly tested and for what Aleister could observe, Rias has never been in a dangerous circumstance, this time she will be put under such stress as her freedom was the thing at play here. Derek will probably just help her see the darkest side of being a leader.

Michael, surprisingly, was the one that developed the best with this training trip. Aleister made it a most for him to understand that honour, however integral to swordsmanship might be, will usually get you killed. He needed to see that when his or his opponent's life was at stake, honour must be thrown out the window, one needed to fight for survival, not for honour. The gentle blond definitely had a lot of trouble with that since he was taught to be honourable before anything else, Aleister had to spar with him, using dirty tactics only, forcing Michael to acknowledge that in a life or death situation, honour was more of a burden than an aid. So far the only thing he needed to add was some muscle to his legs.

Asia surprised him a lot as well, the kind-hearted blonde has done everything that it was asked of her, not complaining even once, it made her more attractive in Aleister's eyes for sure. The Argento now was capable of at least fighting common thugs, enough to protect herself during most situations, though she still needed to add more muscle to her body, it was imperative for her to do that. Her magic and Sacred Gear also evolved greatly, her range of healing was wider, enough to heal anyone inside a twenty-five metres ratio. And with her magic she was now capable of creating magical barriers, they weren't enough to stop an attack from Seekvaria, but they were enough to deal with low levelled attacks. She only needed to grow her magic and speed in conjuring.

As for Akeno and Koneko, shockingly, they were doing the worst. Koneko had reached her limit already, so Aleister could only work on her speed and agility which she managed to up to sufficient levels, but Aleister had not once seen her using her senjutsu, something that Aleister knew she was capable of using due to her nekoshō blood, they were the top users of such powerful energy after all. He tried to force the small girl to use it in combat but she only showed frustration and fear, letting Aleister know that she had a huge mental problem regarding her true self.

Something similar was happening to Akeno, the beautiful blackette had also reached her peak, she was actually the strongest of the peerage, even stronger than Rias, but she could still grow so much more. Aleister too tried to force her to use whatever hidden power she had but just like Koneko, she showed no desire to use whatever true talents she may have, letting him know that she too had trouble accepting herself.

It frustrated the Thompson a lot since he promised Derek to have them at a sufficient level at the least. He had to ask for his advice but the only thing Derek said was that he would deal with it himself. How? Aleister did not know but he could guess that it was going to be quite painful for both females, Derek was not gentle with such matters. Aleister himself had fell into depression when his family exiled him, he was found by Derek and he pulled him out of his sinkhole with quite forceful and painful methods, but they worked to the letter.

His pondering was broken however, when a black military jeep parked right before him, the soldier in the passenger's seat stepping out of the car to open the door of the back seat, dutifully saluting Derek Hamilton as he stepped out of the vehicle, looking as imposing and handsome as ever.

"Thank you, Lieutenant." Derek thanked the soldier as he fixed his jacket.

The female soldier blushed a little before she replied, a small stutter in her voice when she spoke, "I-It was m-my pleasure, s-sir." She went back to the car before she and the other soldier left to their base, leaving Derek and Aleister alone.

"Boss." Aleister mocked saluted the silverette, falling into step as Derek walked inside the manor.

"Report." Derek questioned, already knowing where to go first.

"Their progress was adequate at best but, I'm afraid that it's not enough to beat the Phenex…" Aleister said, followed by a deep sigh, "If both Akeno and Koneko release their true strength, their chances on their own might up, but even if that does happens, I really don't see them winning."

Derek nodded, saying, "I never told you to train them to win the Rating Game…" He could feel the confused gaze from his friend, so the silverette elaborated, "No matter what, they would still lose even if Akeno and Koneko get their shit together… I told you to train them so that they would have a base in which they could grow even more; the Rating Game, I will win it alone."

Aleister widened his eyes when he thought of what Derek might be implying, "You mean that… this is your grandfather's message?"

Derek looked at the blackette over his shoulder, saying with a small dark smirk that sent shivers down Aleister's back, "Yes, I will not only beat Raiser, I'm going to humiliate him and possibly leave him in a coma, he will serve as the perfect example to the rest of the devils."

Aleister gulped when he felt his leader's bloodlust, it made him remember of the times he witnessed him doing certain atrocities that even to this day, Aleister has trouble believing Derek was capable of such evil, "D-Don't you think it might be dangerous? His family is supposedly powerful."

Derek just kept walking as he answered, "True, but they'd only retaliate if we were weak, every devil knows that humans are now the dominant species… if the Phenex house declares war on us, there is no doubt that no other devil family will back them up, leaving them all alone, like that, even you by yourself would be capable of dealing with them."

Aleister just sighed as he nodded slightly, it was in this sort of moments that he wondered why he was still working as a soldier. Most people regarded the job of a soldier as being a hero, protecting a country's freedom and its people's way of life, but almost nobody ever asked what atrocities might have been committed in order to protect them, they didn't had to deal with the sins done so it didn't mattered to them, but they did mattered to him. But still, he was proud of his work, he wasn't a hero and he knew it, but he at least did had a place where he could change things for the better, so he just shook his head and followed Derek as he walked inside the library, knowing that Rias was going to be his first visit.

* * *

Derek observed as Rias and Seekvaria were drinking tea, engaging in a deep conversation about strategies. He walked towards them and made his presence known when he said, "I see you have finished her initial training."

Both heiresses turned their heads immediately when they heard the voice of the Hamilton, Seekvaria getting up her seat to run towards him and plant a ferocious kiss, saying after she broke it, "Yes, her initial training is over…" She kissed him chastely again, whispering, "I missed you."

Derek just sighed before he kissed Seekvaria on the cheek, his way of reciprocating the feeling. He then walked towards the table and sat in front of the jealous Rias, asking, "How do you feel?"

Rias shook her head to rid her mind of jealousy, promising herself that once she was free, she will do everything in her power to be as close to him as the Agares. So focusing back on her crush's question, she answered, "G-Great actually, it has been really tough but I have learned a lot from Seekvaria." She smiled at the Agares who returned the smile.

Derek nodded, not wasting any time as he said, "Excellent, now, let us begin with the basics…" Rias nodded, behaving as dutifully as she could to try and earn his trust back, "What kind of leader do you want to be?" He questioned.

Rias immediately remembered her first lesson, which revolved around the three main types of leaders. The first one was known as the 'Bee', this type of leader was usually a regal person who followed protocol to the letter, often sacrificing comfort in order to accommodate their work. The Bee usually spends all of their day watching over their subordinates and making sure everything was working perfectly, asserting that every regulation is being followed. A perfect example of this type of leader was her best friend Sona.

The second type of leader was known as the 'Brain', they basically lead through intellect, prioritising knowledge over everything else. This type of leaders usually spent all of their day looking over new strategies to accommodate their teams, taking into account every strength and weakness their people had. They were the ones that focused on teamwork the most so they usually knew their people deeply and were very close to their subordinates, as well as being the ones that paid the most attention to detail, that's why this type of leader was the most popular with every higher-up as they offered incredible insight and counsel. A perfect example being Seekvaria.

And lastly, was the one known as the 'Bully'. As the nickname might imply, the Bully were the most ruthless of leaders, being more focused on results than anything else. They were the ones that more easily came to terms with treating their subordinates as expendables, willing to sacrifice their people if it got the mission done. That did not meant that they were unintelligent brutes mind you, they were the most successful leaders because they were as smart as the Brain but usually lacked the sympathy, and as diligent as the Bee but lacking the restraint that came with following the rules to the letter, they were basically deadly machines of war and the very best of this type of leaders were really scarce. A perfect example being Derek himself.

So already knowing what kind of leader she wanted to be, the Gremory replied, "Yes, I want to be the 'Brain'."

She revelled with the small smile that Derek showed her, saying, "Excellent choice, you were made for that role…" His smile dropped instantly when he added, "We'll have to work on your style's weaknesses though, the Brain is usually the one preferred by the army, but due to their sympathy, they are also the ones that deliver less results."

Rias nodded with a small gulp at that, she did not wanted to become as cold as Derek, but a reassuring smile from Seekvaria let her know that she wasn't going to go to such extremes, Seekvaria also outgrew that weakness and she wasn't cold and heartless, she was calculative and cunning, that was the goal.

"Next, have you learned all you could from regular military strategies?" Derek then questioned.

Rias nodded, answering, "Yes, I am now familiarised with basic combat formations, from Guerrilla to Force Concentration."

"What is 'Shoot-and-scoot'?" Derek suddenly quizzed her.

Rias struggled to remember for a second, before it came to her so said, "Ah! It refers to bombarding an opponent from the distance and immediately changing your position to avoid counter-fire, it is an artillery tactic." She smiled like a little child when Derek nodded, an almost unnoticeable proud smile on his face that made her flush.

"Well then, the only thing left for you to decide, is which direction are you going to take your peerage from now on." Derek then said, drinking Seekvaria's tea.

Rias tilted her head at that, inquiring, "W-What do you mean?"

Derek explained, "For any team of any kind, there are only two directions you can take…" He inhaled before he continued, "One, you find your weakness and focus to better it, making you team an all-round force…" He stopped for a second before he spoke again, "And the other direction, is identifying your biggest strength and focusing on it, making your team a specialised force."

Rias thought for a second, asking after some moments, "What are their differences and weaknesses?"

"An all-round team's greatest weakness is that they are not the best at anything, there is no such thing as a perfect attack and defence, you have to sacrifice perfection in order to be good at everything, but that is as far as you get, just a good team… the power that your team can reach, relates to the potential of your subordinates…" Derek then inhaled before he added, "As for the specialised team, their biggest weakness is that they only focus on one thing, if your team is incredible at defending, they can be easily countered by a team with even more power, since you wouldn't have someone capable of attacking, you will most likely face the opponent's full numbers all the time."

Rias pondered for some moments, understanding that this was the most important decision regarding her peerage, it will decide what kind of team they will be, "What d-do you recommend?" She needed her crush's advice, Derek had worlds of experience ahead of her, his advice was something she valued almost above everything else.

Derek replied immediately, "Specialised…" Seeing that Rias wanted a why, he explained, "Usually, you'll want an all-round force as they are the most successful, it is very hard to defeat an opponent who is both good at attacking and defending, but since your team is a power-type force and your pieces have an incredibly high potential, I recommend you focus on become overwhelming."

Rias tilted her head at that again, asking, "Overwhelming?"

Derek nodded, explaining, "The term speaks for itself, power is the only thing in life that can reach a point that it cannot be countered…" He sighed before he continued, "You might have heard that tactics can beat everything, while that might be almost true, there is a kind of opponent that no matter what you do, they will always be capable of overpowering your strategies."

Seekvaria then added, "And it gets worse if your opponent is also as smart as you are on top of having overwhelming power, it basically becomes impossible to stop them."

Rias awed for a second, muttering, "I-Is there even an opponent like that?"

Seekvaria chuckled, saying after, "Derek is like that, he has overwhelming power and intelligence, the only way to stop him is by overpowering him."

Rias just looked at her crush with awe. Had she heard that from someone else, she would have immediately showed a little bit of disbelief, but those words came from Seekvaria. Despite she being the man's fiancée, Seekvaria never exaggerated anything, it just made the redheaded Princess wonder how truly powerful Derek was, _'I guess I-I'll have to wait for t-the game…'_ She thought, despite knowing that her freedom was at stake, she could not deny to feel eager to see her crush's power.

Derek suddenly stood up, stating, "You have to think that through, Rias, it will be the most important decision regarding your team…" Rias shook her head and nodded, determination clear in her eyes as Derek continued, "Once you know what to choose, we'll continue with strategies specific for your team."

The Gremory nodded and watched as Derek left, probably going to check on the rest of her peerage to see their progress. Rias then went back to listen to Seekvaria as she started going over her experiences, with the Gremory hoping that this amazing training will be enough to win her freedom.

* * *

Derek sighed as he made his way to Koneko, he had just checked on Michael and Asia and he had to admit that he was a little impressed. Michael had certainly become more relentless with his attacks and was now a little more willing to fight dirty, something that will certainly save his life in the future once or twice. As for Asia, she was the one that impressed him the most; before her training, the blonde was too naïve and gentle, too easy of a target, but now the girl was capable of defending herself, at least enough to wait for someone stronger to help her, it was as much as he could ask of her for now.

But now he was heading to one of the two females that had trouble growing stronger. He was informed by Aleister of their peculiar cases, though he was already aware of both females' true identities. Koneko being the one that surprised him the most because he had promised a certain someone to find her lost sister, he never really thought that he would do it by mere chance.

He didn't really knew why the small girl had trouble accepting herself, he knew her sister's story but he knew nothing of Koneko's, so the only thing he could think of that made the white-haired girl afraid of her power, was that someone might have misinformed her of the effects of using said power.

He also knew that the way he was about to approach the subject was going to be incredibly sudden, but thanks to all the things he had experienced with his own subordinates, he has learned that shock tended to be the best way to accept something huge.

"Koneko." He spoke once he saw the young girl meditating on the centre of the field.

Koneko opened her eyes when she heard the voice of Derek, immediately turning around to come face to face, or face to chest in her case, with the man that always sent delicious shivers down her spine. She blushed at the proximity, looking down at the ground to reply practically submissively, "H-Hi…"

Derek sighed as he patted the girl's head, smirking when he heard her purring, enjoying the affection. It was almost a secret between them, but he actually really enjoyed pampering the girl. He liked her attitude since they resembled a lot in that area, so much to her delight, he had chosen her as an outlet for affectionate actions, however scarce they were, she loved them.

"We need to talk." Derek said softly, knowing that the young girl was about to be thrown into a very emotional situation.

Koneko timidly looked up at Derek, pouting when he took his hand away from her head before she questioned, "I-Is about my… m-me being so… w-weak?…" She looked down at the ground again, frustration filling her heart at knowing that she was disappointing him. She got attached to him so easily that it made her worry for some time, but when she confronted him with that, he just told her to accept it as it made things easier, she did as told and much to her happiness, he became a little bit affectionate with her in return.

Derek just sighed, placing a hand on her shoulder and saying as she looked at him again, "You are weak because you want to, Koneko…" He was not going to hold his words back, she needed to hear him as crude as possible, "There is still a huge potential in you that you refuse to acknowledge."

Koneko widened her eyes, fear gripping her heart as she questioned, "Y-You… k-know?…"

Derek nodded, saying, "Yes, I know that you are a nekomata, a nekoshō to boost."

Koneko gripped her shorts, looking down at the ground as she whispered a question, trying to hold her emotions back, "How d-did you k-knew?"

"Your aura…" The Hamilton said, drawing a quizzical look from the girl, "Yōkai have a distinctive aura, very dense, really hard to miss, but despite that, their aura is usually very calm…" He explained before he continued, "Nekomata however, have a much more playful aura, their cat instincts I guess… and when it comes to nekoshō, their aura turns more chaotic, not in a bad way per se, but it's messier…" He saw Koneko looking at him, sadness filling her heart when he added, "Nekoshō are the most powerful yōkai and your prowess in senjutsu is unrivalled. Koneko, you still have a whole world of improvement to do with senjutsu, why are you so afraid of it?"

Koneko widened her eyes a little, tears starting to gather in her eyes as she responded with her face down, her voice almost a whisper, "B-Because… I h-had a sister…" She began, "We w-were the last of our kind… s-supposedly… so we were alone…" She inhaled to gather the necessary strength to continue, "We s-struggled for a while… until m-my sister was inducted in a peerage…" She started to sniffle as she spoke again, "B-Becoming a devil only u-unlocked her true power… s-she… she went mad w-with it… she k-killed her master a-and disappeared… w-without me…" She sobbed a little harsher, resting her head on his chest, surprised that he allowed her to do so, "T-The Devil C-Council wanted to kill me… to p-pay for my sister's crime… if i-it weren't for L-Lord Lucifer's interference, I w-would be dead right now."

Derek sighed as he gave the girl a small caress on her head, letting her sob for a while before he asked, "I guess that that's when you met Rias?"

Koneko nodded, feeling better with him around, "Y-Yes… I w-was entrusted t-to her ever since…" A small smile formed on her face, remembering the redheaded devil who she thought of as a big sister.

Derek nodded before he questioned, "Who told you that your sister went mad?"

Koneko looked up to him, a confused expression on her face due to the question, she answered it none the less, "T-The Devil C-Council… w-why?"

"Because they lied to you." Derek replied dryly.

Koneko widened her eyes in shock at that, leaning back to whisper, "W-What?…"

Derek sighed, saying after, "Koneko, senjutsu is the perfect connection with nature, you are drawing energy from nature itself; nature is not evil, nature is peaceful, how can someone go mad by using its power?…" Koneko stayed quiet for a while. Derek then saw that she was about to counter with something, so already knowing what she was going to say, he spoke, "And no, one cannot really go drunk with power, it's a myth, power is lifeless, it doesn't have a mind, nor a purpose, it is us that give it those things, it is us that decide which direction we take, it is also us that put the blame of our actions on power instead of owning up to them."

Koneko was completely shocked after listening to Derek's explanation. If those words had come from someone else, she would've paid no mind to them, dismissing them as soon as she heard them, but she knew that Derek knew power, true power, somehow her gut told her that he was speaking from experience. Plus, it made sense, now that she thought about it, senjutsu was basically Mother Nature's aura, it cannot be evil, only the person wielding it can.

It took a while for little Koneko to regain her wits, saying once she did, "B-But why… w-would they lie t-to me?"

Derek sighed, glancing at a tree some metres away from them before he looked back at Koneko to reply, "Because they didn't wanted you to know the true reason for why your sister killed her master."

Koneko again felt her heart shaking, she always had a suspicion that something was off but she chalked it up to wistful thinking, her heart trying to find any way to make her sister the good guy, "W-Which is?…" She whispered a question, equally dreading and anticipating the answer.

"That Kuroka's master was experimenting on his servants, her included." Derek replied.

Koneko stepped back from him a little, stuttering, "H-How… how d-do you know her n-name?… h-how do you know w-what happened?…"

It was a voice that Koneko thought she'd never hear again the one that answered behind her, "Because Derek is my mate, Shirone."

Koneko turned behind in a second, shock, fear and pain running through her veins as she saw a beautiful black-haired woman, her luscious body covered by a black kimono that served to show her figure well, her eyes a piercing golden, shaped like a cat's, two black tails swaying behind her and two black cat ears on her head. She recognised the beauty well, "K-Kuroka…" She walked back shakily, trying to run away. She was stopped by Derek however, forcing her to look up to him, asking with tears in her eyes, "D-Derek… w-what is going on?…"

Derek sighed, looking over at Kuroka for a second. Despite the woman's usual confident smirk, he knew that Kuroka was shaking on the inside, she has been searching Koneko for a while after all. Kuroka was Derek's second official mate, she was the woman that came after Seekvaria and that just like the Agares, refused to give up on him. At first she was only after his genes but as time went on, she fell in love with him, and much to his chagrin, he of her.

That is why he arranged this meeting, she was one of the few people for whom he'll fight Great Red if necessary, "Kuroka has been my mate for over two years now, Koneko…" He told the shocked girl and continued, "How we met is of no importance now, what it matters is that you listen to her…" He sensed her fear, so he patted her head and said as reassuringly as possible, "She won't hurt you, I'm here too, just listen to her and I promise you that I'll… _sigh_ … I'll get you some very expensive sweets."

Koneko gulped while she still looked at her crush, reluctantly looking back to her sister, not knowing if she was agreeing to this because of curiosity or the sweets, "A-Alright…" She replied, but did not moved away from Derek, clinging to his pants in a sign of not wanting to be away from him right now.

Kuroka just chuckled as she watched her little sister being so clingy to her mate, she couldn't blame her since she too was incredibly clingy to him. Kuroka then focused on Koneko, remembering all the memories she had with her, how they struggled in their youth but even so made their way in life, how she had thought she found a home for them only to later realise that her master only wanted subjects to experiment on. She had to make the hardest choice of her life when she killed him and left Koneko behind, knowing that the little girl was surely going to hate her forever, but she didn't cared, at least her sister was going to live. Plus, it was because of all that suffering that she finally found her true mate, it was hard to get Derek to accept, but she managed to break his walls and ever since, Kuroka had to admit that she was finding it harder and harder to be away from him.

"I didn't went mad with power, Shiro…" She stopped when she saw her sister wincing at the name, sighing before she mended, "Koneko… I killed my master because the freak was experimenting on us…" She shivered a little, remembering all the things he did to her, "He promised me to leave you o-out of it but he… h-he was going to break his promise…" Koneko began to cry openly as she slowly realised what her sister meant, "I c-couldn't let that happen to you… I'm… y-you're my baby s-sister… it's my job t-to protect you…"

Koneko was immensely shocked to see her sister so sad, vulnerable, pained; she was not lying, at all, Koneko could feel the honesty that her sister was exuding and even if she doubted her, the evidence was there, it all made sense now, "W-Why?…" She whispered, tightening her grip on Derek's pants, "W-Why did y-you leave me then?"

Kuroka had already lost all of her confidence and calm. Originally she wanted to abduct Koneko once she found her but after Derek told her not to, she had to relent. She was surprised when her beloved called her to let her know that he had found her, promising to arrange a meeting with her if she showed her true self, her true emotions, not the criminal Koneko was led to believe she was.

So with a little sob, Kuroka replied, her gaze casted down, "B-Because I couldn't put you t-through the torment of living on the streets, on the run, not again…" She looked up to the crying Koneko to add, "I k-knew that you would be placed under s-someone, it was my hope that you ended up in a good home, it was a relief that you ended up with the Gremory otherwise I would have t-taken you with me."

Both Kuroka and Derek allowed the girl to calm down, taking her some minutes to stop crying before she said, a whisper again, "W-What do you want… n-now?…"

Kuroka looked at her mate, drawing strength from her beloved to reply, "I w-wish I could take you with me…" She saw her wince, "But I d-don't want to endanger you with all the things Derek has me doing…" Koneko looked at her with confusion, prompting Kuroka to say, "I'm searching something for him with my team, we usually get in dangerous situations, nothing we can't handle, but I rather not endanger you, plus…" She sighed sadly as she continued, "I couldn't t-take your happiness from you, I know you are really h-happy here with your master."

Koneko stared at her stray sister for some moments, not really knowing what to do or say, a half of her was still scared while the other was happy to know that her sister loved her, "T-Then what?" She inquired again.

Kuroka replied, "Derek told me that you had reached the peak of your strength…" Koneko nodded slightly, Kuroka adding, "He also told me that you fear senjutsu because of lies told to you about it…" She walked tentatively closer to her sister, continuing, "I want to o-offer you my help, so that you can reach your true potential… s-so that I can… be a p-part of your life again."

Koneko stared at her sister's eyes, not looking away for a while. She was surprised to find only honesty in them, Kuroka was really longing to be a family again, it made the little girl's heart jump a little in joy. But still feeling greatly confused and in need of advice from Rias, she looked at the ground and said, "I… n-need to think about it…"

Kuroka held her emotions back, feeling sad but managing to give her sister a small smile as she replied, "I u-understand."

Koneko nodded a little at Kuroka before she looked at Derek, confusion present in her eyes before she ran off towards the manor, a lot of thinking to do for her.

Derek sighed as he watched Koneko go, his eyes turning to his mate to see her truly devastated. So doing something uncharacteristic of him, he walked towards Kuroka and placed a hand on her butt while he brought her inside his arms, the woman immediately responding to her mate as he whispered, "You okay?"

Kuroka chuckled a little, tears falling down her eyes while she encircled him with her arms, looking up at him to give him a small loving kiss before she responded, "It is in moments like this that I remember why I love you so much…" She was talking about the way that despite being a cold person, whenever it came to his women, Derek did showed how he felt for them, "And no, I'm not okay…" She responded and as she buried her face in his chest, she added, "But with you here beloved, I will be."

Derek just tightened his grip on her, resting his chin above her head as he took her towards a tree and brought her down with him, his back resting on the trunk while she relaxed her body and enjoyed the moment with him. She might be usually a very horny woman whenever she saw him, but right now he knew that what she needed the most, was his comfort, he still had some hours before he meets with Akeno, so he will spend them all with Kuroka.

* * *

Akeno breathed in as a small shiver ran down her spine, she was currently in the shore of a lake some metres away from the manor, standing under the night as she waited for the silver-haired Hamilton.

The Himejima was surely caught off guard when Seekvaria informed her that Derek wanted to meet with her on the lake after twelve o'clock, making her wonder why the handsome male would want to be with her, all alone, in a romantic lake under a beautiful moonlight, it definitely sent excited pulses to her heart.

Despite being the seductress of her peerage, Derek was the only man that made her turn into a shy girl, her actual true self. He had her beat in seduction, smooth talking and overall attitude, he was the very definition of her dream man, someone strong, imposing and sexy, so one could forgive her for yelping cutely when she heard his voice saying.

"Akeno." Derek made his presence known as he walked towards the beautiful blackette, admiring her incredible body and magnificent face. Out of everyone in Rias' peerage, Akeno was the one that Derek liked the most, simply because the woman was strong and did not hesitated as much as the rest. Though he did not liked her S&M tendencies during combat, it made her a very easy target to deal with since she tended to let her opponents survive longer than she should, one day it may cost her greatly.

"D-Derek!…" Akeno replied with a small jump, inhaling deeply to recover her courage to say, " _Ahem_ … I must s-say… I never expected you to…" She walked towards him, her demeanour completely changed to that of a seductress when she reached him and added seductively, "Want me like this."

Derek smirked a little, he has been thinking how to approach the subject and seeing the woman now, he came up with a perfect solution, "Mhm… I just didn't wanted interruptions." He grabbed her waist and pushed her towards a tree, pushing his body on hers as he started kissing her neck.

Akeno widened her eyes when she felt the kisses. Despite her bravado, she was definitely not expecting this development but she was not going to refuse it at all, she desired him a lot, it was almost a dream come true, "O-Oh… D-Derek… darling…" She moaned, pushing her body even closer to his.

Derek suddenly grabbed her butt and squeezed it, assaulting her lips with a ferocious kiss as he did everything he could to lower the woman's guard. It took some moments of groping to achieve it, but once Akeno was completely lost in the moment, he brought one hand to her upper back and released a pulse of aura, disrupting the woman's control of her power and forcing her to release her wings, her true wings.

"Ah!…" Akeno yelped when she felt her aura disrupted, widening her eyes in horror when she saw that she had subconsciously released her true set of wings consisting of one devil wing and one fallen angel wing, looking back at Derek with a horrified and betrayed expression as she released that he was doing it all for this, "W-Why did you do that!?… y-you had no right!" She could not believe how much it really hurt her, her heart was beating with pain, making her wonder if her feelings for the silverette have grown.

Derek just sighed, crossing his arms when he responded, "Currently, you are the strongest one in Rias' peerage, but even so, you still have so much potential to achieve, if you wouldn't be denying your true self that is."

Akeno suddenly turned into a timid girl, tears threatening to fall from her eyes as she looked down and said, "S-So you knew… all t-this time…"

Derek nodded, saying, "Yes, I've had my encounters with Crows, and their stench is something I cannot forget."

Akeno winced at that, feeling incredibly small under his gaze as she felt her heart breaking, "S-So… you… h-hate me?…" She asked, not able to meet his gaze, dreading the answer that she thought already knew.

Derek just sighed, bringing his hand to the woman's chin and as he brought her teary face back up, he replied, "The list of people I hate is very short, Akeno, and you're definitely not in it…" The woman showed obvious signs of relief while he continued, "While I dislike most of your race because of past dealings, you are a separate individual, one that I'm in fact quite attracted to."

Akeno widened her eyes at that, her heart beating rapidly as she blushed slightly, asking hopefully, "D-Despite my… d-disgusting blood?"

Derek retracted his hand, sighing before he replied, "There is no such thing as disgusting blood, Akeno, the individual is the one that may become disgusting; trying to say that just because you have fallen angel blood you are the way you are is just a cheap way to relegate the responsibility of your actions, simple as that…" He made a struggling face as he looked to the side, stating almost silently, "You may be a half fallen angel… but to me you're still Akeno Himejima and I… like… her…"

Akeno felt tears running down her cheeks, she has never felt so accepted like now. Sure, her family and friends who knew her true origin all accepted her for who she was, but it was an entire different subject when the one accepting you was the one person you had feelings for, though she wondered when she started seeing him as a possibility for something stable, there was no denying that she felt like that and now hearing him saying those words, made her jump at him and hugged him tightly, saying on his chest, "T-Thank you… you d-don't know how much it… means to me… to hear you saying that."

Derek just sighed again, patting her back slightly before he questioned, "Why are you so afraid of using your power of light? You can become the deadliest of your peerage against other devils since you can use their greatest weakness."

Akeno looked at him before she jumped out of the embrace, her eyes wide in sadness and reluctance when she declared, "No! N-Never!… I… I-I don't w-want anything to do with my disgusting heritage!…" She saw that Derek was about to press on, so she pleaded, "P-Please… d-don't force me…"

Derek saw the genuine despair the girl seemed to be under, making him ask, "Why?"

Akeno just inhaled, calming her nerves and after she casted her gaze down, replied, "I… I d-don't want to talk about it…" Despite how much she wanted to let him in, she was still finding it impossible to tell him her story, she didn't knew why, she just knew that she couldn't, not now.

Derek just sighed, shaking his head in disappointment, saying as he turned around, "As you wish then."

Akeno shot her head up when she realised that he was walking back to the manor, forcing her to stutter, "W-Wait… w-why are you leaving?…"

Derek stopped and once he looked her over his shoulder, answered, "I called you here at this hour so that we could have some privacy, I knew that you have trouble with people seeing your half fallen side, so I thought that once I made you come to terms with it, this would be a perfect place to train…" He then shrugged, continuing his walk as he added, "But since you clearly have no desire to reach your full potential, then there is nothing to do here, we shall resume your regular training tomorrow morning, I still have to make you a capable ground fighter."

Akeno stayed on her place frozen, silent as she watched the handsome man disappearing in the foliage. She definitely wanted him to stay with her but despite his harshness, she couldn't disagree that as long as she was unwilling to be open with him, she cannot expect him to show her the side she knew was reserved to his lovers only, "Dammit…" Akeno cursed herself, wiping her remaining tears while she looked at her reflection on the lake, inhaling deeply before she made her way to the manor as well, hoping that one day her reluctance with him will completely vanish.

* * *

Rias bit her lip as she waited for Grayfia. The day of the match has come and despite all the amazing training her and her peerage did, she knew that they were not ready. It was made perfectly clear when Derek challenged them all to a spar that they were not strong enough to win. She had thought that now that Aleister needed over fifteen minutes to defeat them, they would be capable of taking Derek down, but much to everyone's shock, Derek knocked them all out in a span of three minutes, and she could tell he was holding back.

The fact that Akeno and Koneko were not focused on the game didn't helped either. Koneko was incredibly confused after the surprise visit from her sister, which once Rias knew about immediately went to look for the stray devil, only to find her asleep in Derek's arms. The only thing he told her was to go back and not say a thing, the fact that she nodded submissively made her realise just how truly imposing he was. As for Akeno, the beautiful priestess was just depressed, Rias could tell by the constant glances she sent at Derek that it had to do with him and whatever happened between them during the training week. Akeno had only confided her that he knew of her true origin, which caught Rias off guard, but it appears that Derek accepted the woman without trouble, though the why of her sadness was something left unspoken.

The Gremory had then talked to Derek, complaining about the emotional state in which he left her servants, the silverette only shrugged and told her not to worry about it, they are supposedly not needed, making the Gremory heiress incredibly confused.

But now here she was, back at the ORC clubroom, her peerage and Derek waiting for her brother's {Queen} as they all prepared for the Rating Game. Seekvaria and Sona had already left towards the VIP zone, where they would be watching the game alongside Rias' and Raiser's family. All of Devil's nobility were also able to witness the game, making the redheaded beauty shiver nervously.

"Relax Rias, everything will be fine." Akeno said to her as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, easing Rias' nerves a little.

"Thank you." The Gremory heiress said with a warm smile, feeling reassured to have such an amazing best friend that was capable of putting her personal problems aside for a moment to comfort her.

Rias then glanced at Derek who was sitting on the couch, his eyes closed as he leaned back, seemingly taking a nap. She wanted to talk to him but a sudden glow caught her attention, making her realise that Grayfia had arrived.

"Are you ready, Lady Rias?" Grayfia inquired once she was fully visible, announcing her presence to everyone in the room.

Rias looked around at her peerage and Derek, all of them nodding at her, so she replied, "Yes, let's go."

Grayfia just nodded and transported them towards the Underworld, surprising them when they were apparently still in the ORC's clubroom, "Lord Raiser said that the game should be played in a replica of your Academy."

"Arrogant prick." Akeno commented, inhaling deeply to get her mind on the game.

"I shall go to the VIP room, I will be refereeing the game so I must take my leave." Grayfia then said followed by a bow, disappearing after she spoke.

Everyone stayed quiet for some moments until Grayfia's voice was heard from all over the place, _"=Good evening ladies and gentlemen, my name is Grayfia, a servant of the house of Gremory, I shall be acting as this match's referee…="_ Derek looked outside the window, narrowing his eyes as he studied the field, _"=To create this battlefield, I inspired in Luxembourg Academy University sector, as you may realise that it is an exact replica…="_ Derek then observed the sky, realising that it was distorted and green, _"=Each team will have a base on the field, the Occult Research Club room will act as Lady Rias' base, while the school's headmaster's office will act as Lord Raiser's…="_ Derek immediately looked towards the building mentioned, now knowing where to go, _"=Pawns will be able to promote in said buildings, you all have fifteen minutes to strategize, good luck to you all.="_

Grayfia then stopped talking, initiating the game's first stage, "Alright then, I think that we should avoid the sides and head straight through the middle, through the gym." Michael proposed as he observed the map of their school.

Rias and Akeno nodded, with the former saying, "Indeed, I think it will work since we…"

Derek suddenly cut her off though, when he spoke without looking at them, "Rias…" The aforementioned woman looked at her crush, confusion written all over her face when he continued, "I'm going to give you two options right now…" He turned to look at the confused woman, "One, we play to win you points with the nobility, but that will entail that I hold back and only act as a {Pawn}, doing exactly as you say…" Rias looked at her peerage who just like her, were all confused, "Or two, you stay here with everyone protecting you while I go and finish this quickly."

Rias and the rest widened their eyes at that, shocked to hear him saying such thing, and with such confidence as well, "W-What?…" She whispered aghast.

* * *

Up on the VIP room, a handsome middle-aged man with fiery red hair said to the blond male and the other redheaded man by his sides, "Mm… who is that young man?" He pointed at Derek.

Grayfia was the one that replied when she said, "His name is Derek Hamilton, Lord Gremory."

The blond man looked surprised at those words, stating, "Is he related to Jonathan Hamilton?"

The redheaded young man known as Sirzechs Lucifer replied, a small smile on his face all the while, "Yes Lord Phenex, he is Jonathan's grandson."

A beautiful blonde woman sitting next to Lord Phenex then commented, "Mm, that explains why the Agares heiress is present." She looked at her side towards a table some steps away from them, where Seekvaria with her {Queen} and Sona with her peerage sat, eagerly watching the show.

"He seems quite confident." A brown-haired buxom female then added, looking at her daughter as she wondered how would she get out of this mess.

Everyone nodded at those words, with Sona whispering to Seekvaria, "Seekvaria, what is Derek thinking?" The Sitri did not understand what was Derek doing.

Seekvaria just chuckled, looking at her {Queen} who snorted in amusement before she whispered back, a confident smirk on her face, "Just watch and enjoy Sona, your panties are about to get really soaked." The Agares winked then at Tsubasa, who squirmed in anticipation.

Sona just blushed harshly while she coughed, trying to regain her composure and deciding to just be patient. Seekvaria seemed as confident as Derek, so whatever is about to come, should be at the very least, interesting.

* * *

"Is not that hard to understand…" Derek replied while he walked towards Rias, "You can stay here with all of your peerage protecting you in case someone tries to sneak on us, I on the meanwhile will obliterate everyone on my path, Raiser included."

Rias grabbed his hand, alarmed by the suggestion as she said, "D-Derek, are you insane!? You can't possibly think that you can do this on your own."

She and the other Gremory suddenly gasped and fell to their knees though, shocked as they meekly looked at Derek as he was now covered by red crimson flames, his eyes shining in a bright green that sent terrified shivers down their spines, "I can…" Derek spoke, his voice as powerful as his aura. He then released his oppressive aura, allowing them to recover their breath before he added, "The problem though, is that the nobility will definitely look down at you for this…" Rias looked at him before she looked at the ground, not knowing what to choose now that she could feel Derek's immense power, "You have to ask yourself what matters to you the most, your name or your freedom, you choose."

Everyone looked at Rias as she kept quiet for a while, pondering on everything she was proposed. Her pride demanded her to fight herself but her intelligence reminded her that she will not be victorious in this fight, no matter what. Derek is definitely more powerful than her and as such, he will shine brighter than her on the game, he knew that so that's why he told her that he will cap his power lower if she chooses to lead the attack, allowing her to shine for herself.

But despite her pride as a devil, she was a living creature and there was nothing stronger in a living being's heart than the desire for freedom, that's why she looked back at him and after she stood up again, replied, "I… I w-will be in your hands…"

Her peerage seemed relieved, surprisingly, everyone just felt Derek's power and something told them that he was more than capable of this. In the VIP room there were many incredulous looks, thinking that both Rias and Derek had gone mad, but it was their game, so they all just decided to see the event unfold, though Sirzechs had a feeling in his gut that he was not going to like it.

Derek, in a strange moment, released his aura and caressed Rias' cheek, drawing a surprised look from her as a blush adorned her gorgeous face, "I will make you free Rias, I promise."

Rias blushed even harsher while she leaned on his hand, placing a hand on top of his as she replied with a small smile, "I know."

Derek nodded and after he retreated his hand, ordered, "Then this is what you'll do; Akeno and Michael…" Both immediately paid attention, standing like soldiers ready to be ordered, a habit they picked up on their training, "You will patrol around the building, I am sure that Raiser sent some of his servants already to try and sneak on us, you will make sure they fail…" Both nodded dutifully, "Koneko and Asia, you will remain here inside with Rias; Asia will be by Rias' side at all times while Koneko acts as your bodyguard, understood?" Everyone chorused a yes in unison, saluting the man as he started making his way outside.

"Derek…" Rias then spoke, drawing his attention, "Be careful." She added with a worried glance.

Derek just nodded and left, an evil smirk forming on his face as he made his way towards the gym, it was time for the devils to be reminded who truly ruled the world.

* * *

Derek walked into the gym, his face betraying absolutely nothing of what he was thinking right now. Everybody who was watching could only see his relaxed stance, his hands kept in his pockets while he surveyed his surroundings only with his eyes.

He pushed a door to walk inside the main hall of the gymnasium, where just as he thought, four servants of Raiser were already waiting for him, "Hm." He just grunted, standing right before the four women.

"You have to be incredibly stupid to just walk in like that." A beautiful woman of Chinese descent spoke, a confident smirk on her face while she readied her battle stance, her fists suddenly being covered by flames. She was wearing a blue battle qipao that showed her cleavage quite a lot, a white sash surrounding her stomach, she was also wearing black low-heeled shoes, her black long hair tied in twin buns covered by white cloth while some bangs fell freely over her forehead, her piercing blue eyes narrowed right at him.

"Gigigi… hey Ile! He looks pretty stupid, right!?" A young turquoise-haired girl said, a childish look on her face while she swung a chainsaw around. The girl seemed to be very young, barely fourteen perhaps, her hair was short and tied to the left with a yellow ribbon, she was wearing a gym uniform consisting of a white shirt and blue shorts.

"Gigigi… he definitely does, Nel!" A clone of the girl agreed, making Derek realise that they were exact twins, though this one had her hair tied to the right, probably in a way to differentiate herself from her sister.

" _Gulp._ " A blue-haired woman gulped loudly, Derek remembering her as the one that tried to hit him back when he met Raiser, she was visibly reluctant.

"Hey Xuelan, is Mira scared!?" The one named Nel questioned the oldest one.

"Yes, is she!?" Ile then added to her twin's words.

The now identified Xuelan looked over her shoulder towards her fellow peerage member, realising that indeed Mira seemed afraid, so she screamed, "Mira, are you really afraid of this guy!?"

Mira was about to answer, but she had to widen her eyes in shock when before she could even think, the silver-haired Adonis was already in front of her, appearing out of nowhere before he said to her, his voice being the scariest thing she has ever heard, "As you should."

Everyone was then shocked when Derek delivered such a powerful hit, that Mira took some seconds to show pain, vomiting a lot of blood before she was sent flying back, smashing through the gym's wall before she disappeared in a bright light.

"W-What…" One of the twins mumbled before she, along with her sister, screamed as a sudden shot of energy hit right in front of them, blowing up right before them with such power that they couldn't even realise that they were already being transported back to the medic ward.

Xuelan actually saw how Derek raised a hand towards the twins, his palm onwards while a ball of energy appeared, shooting it straight at the twins who were too shocked to move. Not wanting to make the same mistake, the buxom woman shook her head, flames coating her fists and feet while she lunged at the handsome man, roaring, "Y-You bastard!…" She sent her fist right to his face, widening both her eyes and mouth in shock when he easily caught it, "A-Argh…" She started gritting her teeth, grunting due to the excruciating pain that filled her whole senses when Derek started crushing her fist with his hand, never in her life had she been subjected to such raw strength, she could feel her bones breaking as she kneeled, her strength suddenly leaving her.

Xuelan then frightfully looked up at the man, fearing that intense gaze that showed absolutely nothing, only power. She tried to plead when she saw his fist moving but she was too late, Derek had already hit her beautiful face with such brutality and power that she immediately lost consciousness, her body crashing on the ground with such strength that it left a dent before she disappeared in a white light.

"Hm." Was Derek's only response to his brutality, heading towards the exit of the room as he heard Grayfia stating, _"=Three of Lord Raiser's pawns and one rook retire from the game…="_ He looked to his side after he heard an explosion coming from their base's direction, narrowing his eyes when Grayfia announced, _"=Three of Lord Raiser's pawns retire.="_ He nodded to himself as he kept walking, this will be over soon.

* * *

"U-Unbelievable…" Rias' mother whispered as she watched the game with rapt attention.

"S-Satan… he is brutal…" Lord Gremory, Rias' father, added, his eyes wide in shock after what he just witnessed, reaction shared by everyone in the VIP room.

Sona stared agape for some moments before she looked at Seekvaria, the Agares looking back at her with an amused smirk that promised a lot of more surprises.

Sirzechs just kept quiet, understanding a hidden message that Derek was sending him, he just wanted to see how far he will go to make his point as clear as possible.

* * *

Derek continued making his way towards Raiser's base, narrowing his eyes when he was suddenly covered by a white light, looking up to see a beautiful purple-haired busty woman floating above him. She was wearing a dress consisting of a navy blue tunic top with gold accents and a pale blue skirt with open sides, black shoes over matching thigh-high stockings with garter-belts. The top revealed much of her cleavage and was held by a gold choker with blue and red jewels. Over this, she had a white overcoat with black and gold accents and matching pauldrons, a staff-like sceptre on her hands as she looked down on him with a smug gaze.

"Pathetic." The woman muttered before she activated her bomb, watching as a huge explosion engulfed where the silverette stood.

Raiser's {Queen} was about to head back to her master when her senses suddenly screamed danger at her, making her turn to look behind to be shocked by the sight of the silverette flying above her, two aura-constructed-wings flapping to keep him airborne. The thing that shocked her though were not the wings, but the condensed ball of energy spiralling before his fingers, energy suddenly shot at her exposed midriff.

"AH!" Yubelluna screamed in agony as the energy made contact with her, exploding right on her stomach and sending her flying rapidly towards the ground, crashing painfully on her back.

The woman recovered some seconds later, frightened to see that she could barely move her hands. She was about to reach her cleavage for her Phoenix Tears bottle but she gasped in fear when the silverette appeared right above her, looking down at her with his icy blues making their mark on her mind for eternity, "Pathetic indeed." He spoke dryly before he lifted his foot, bringing it down towards the woman's head, forcing her to retire after such violent hit.

Derek just watched as the small bottle of Phoenix Tears rolled around the ground, grabbing it and bringing it close to his face. He then crushed it and resumed his walking, hearing as Grayfia said, _"=Lord Raiser's queen retires.="_

* * *

"I-Is that really… D-Derek?…" Rias whispered in shock as she observed her crush completely walking over everything on his path. There was a telly in the room that allowed the {King} a perfect view of the field to watch their subordinates' progress, she was glad for it because otherwise she wouldn't be able to witness such sight.

"Wow…" Michael whispered, as shocked as everyone else. He had to deal with three of Raiser's pawns some moments earlier but they were nothing he couldn't handle, so now he was able to be here with his peerage, witnessing the carnage.

Akeno just touched her heart, her body immediately responding to such incredible demonstration of prowess. She could still feel Derek's lips on hers while his touch still reverberated on her body, making her forget about her depression for the moment, wanting nothing more than to keep observing the man that had her so captivated.

* * *

Derek continued walking, not minding what was happening in the VIP room or back at Rias' base. He had to admit that he was feeling incredibly disappointed right now, after all the gloating from Raiser, the Hamilton had thought that at the very least, the bird and his peerage were capable of entertaining him more than Rias and her group. But while the difference in power was there, it was still too easy for Derek, enough that he had already lost all interest, yearning for his bed and a good piece of steak.

It was when Derek finally reached the plaza in front of Raiser's base that he felt the rest of his peerage, seeing them all appear as they all readied their stances, clear signs of fear in their eyes, no doubt have they seen him brutalising their comrades, _'Good…'_ Derek thought as he narrowed his eyes, glad to see that Raiser probably panicked so in a last ditch effort, he sent the rest of his force to stop him.

"T-That's as far a-as you go!" A young girl wearing a pink dress, her blond hair tied in twin ponytails spoke. Due to her scent, Derek could tell that she was related to the bird, probably his sister; the girl was shaking more than the others, letting him know that she was not used to this. He would usually show mercy to someone that reminded him of Alice but unfortunately for the cute girl, he needed to send a message.

Derek just huffed, clicking his fingers as he said, "I don't have time to waste with you."

The rest of Raiser's peerage went on guard when a magical circle appeared beside the handsome young man, getting confused when a beautiful blue-haired female appeared, immediately surrounding the silverette with her arms as she said with a smile, "Owww! My mate is going to let me play!" Tiamat kissed his cheek, feeling really happy that he was going to let her play with those girls.

"H-Hey!…" Ravel screamed while she pointed at the woman, stuttering a question, "W-Who the hell is she!? Y-You can't use p-people that are not in your peerage!"

Derek just looked straight at the girl, making her yelp when his cold blues locked on her eyes to respond, "This is my familiar, girl…" Everyone widened their eyes as Derek added, "I was planning on dealing with you myself but frankly, I just want to get this over with, Real Madrid is playing in some hours and I'm not missing the game for this shit…" He then looked at his dragon-wife, saying, "Do as you will with them Tiamat, I really don't care."

Tiamat just nodded with a smirk, watching as Derek suddenly disappeared in a red flash before she focused on the females in front of her, saying, "Oh dears, you are in such bad luck…" Her body started glowing, "Having to fight the gorgeous man who's married to Tiamat, otherwise known as the strongest Dragon King!" The whole area was suddenly enveloped in an explosion of aura, sending ripples throughout the whole field that it even reached the VIP room.

Ravel and her comrades widened their eyes in fear as they witnessed the magnificent and gigantic blue dragon sneering down at them, her piercing golden eyes glowing menacingly as she slowly lowered her face, finishing her thought with an incredibly powerful voice, "Even worst when said wife is his familiar." She smirked at the already horrified females, knowing that while it will be quick, she will definitely have some fun.

* * *

"I-I… I d-don't believe it…" Sona whispered. She along with her peerage, minus Tsubasa, were completely shocked to see none other than the legendary Chaos Karma Dragon serving under Derek.

Seekvaria and Tsubasa just chuckled at their expressions, they already knew that she was another one of Derek's mates and when they found out, they certainly reacted the same way, it was fun to see the reaction for themselves.

"M-My Satan…" Lady Phenex whispered as she helplessly watched her youngest daughter getting completely destroyed by the legendary creature, not knowing how the hell the silverette was capable of placing such being under his signature.

"J-Just what is this boy?…" Lord Gremory questioned, shock coursing through his body as he realised that if Derek was capable of subduing Tiamat as a familiar, then the silverette was already stronger than him, "There i-is absolutely no way that he is a mere human."

"I agree…" Sirzechs commented, not knowing what the silverette was either, though by the presence he could feel from him, the Lucifer could discern a scent found only in dragons, making him wonder if he was half-dragon, "But with what we've seen, I think that the outcome is already out." He then added, a small smile on his face as he realised that Rias was going to be free, there was no way that someone capable of having a Dragon King as a familiar would lose against someone as brutish as Raiser.

Nobody answered him, everyone completely shocked and with their full attention locked to the screen, a shiver running down to everyone's spines as they wondered just what the Hamilton was truly capable of.

* * *

Raiser was looking at his servants getting the absolute shit kicked out of them by the strongest of the Dragon Kings, a knot forming in his stomach when he realised that it will be the last time he could call them his servants. Despite his bravado, he could not deny that Derek had already instilled fear in his heart.

"Quite the view, isn't it?…" The voice of the silver-haired male suddenly won the Phenex's attention, making him turn to look at the side to see Derek stepping in the roof, some metres away from him, "Not only is your whole peerage going to be sent straight to the medical ward…"

 _"=T-Two of Lord Raiser's pawns, one rook, two knights and two bishops have left the game.="_ Grayfia's voice was then heard, a small stutter of awe present in her stoically melodic voice.

Raiser widened his eyes in shock after he heard that, turning back towards where the rest of her peerage were previously engaging the karma dragon. But the only thing left were a lot of dents on the floor while a beautiful blue-haired woman winked at Raiser, a sadistic smirk adorning her face.

"Since Tiamat is the responsible of maintaining the fields…" Derek's voice won Raiser's attention again as he continued, "There is absolutely nothing that will save you from my wrath."

Raiser started panicking, his fist covered in flames before he shot them at the silverette, saying, "Y-You bastard!"

Instead of dodging the shot as Raiser expected, Derek simply brought his hand forward, shocking everyone when he easily caught the ball of fire before he inspected it, saying disappointedly, "Such pathetic fire." He waved his hand to the side, shooting the fire somewhere else.

Raiser was visibly shaking right now, the mere presence of the silverette was starting to mess with his courage, "W-What th…" Before he could even ask what the silverette was, he suddenly disappeared before he reappeared right before the Phenex with a red flash, eyes now glowing an eerie green as he delivered the most powerful hit that Raiser has ever felt on his face, sending him flying straight to the ground where he started bouncing like a rock thrown at the water's surface.

"Aaa…" Raiser weakly mumbled, incredibly dazed right now due to the power behind such blow. He could barely make up the forms of Rias and her peerage who surely after hearing that everyone in Raiser's team were put down, decided to come and watch the show, standing right next to the human form of Tiamat.

"You were going to ask what am I, yes?…" Derek's voice won everyone's attention again, the silverette walking almightily on the roof before crimson flames started to cover his whole frame while all over his body, strange black lines started to appear in random patterns, he looked like the very definition of anger, "I shall tell you all what I am then." He added as red and black dragon wings appeared on his back, lifting him up on the air as he hovered like an angry god, his aura affecting every part of the field and beyond, the sky above rippling as somehow a thunderstorm seemed to be looming.

"W-What… p-power…" Rias weakly mumbled as she, like her peerage and Raiser, struggled for breath, her crush's aura was so thick that it made it incredibly hard to maintain control of their bodies.

Tiamat chuckled, not affected by her husband's power at all since she was stronger than him, by just a little though, "This is nothing." She mumbled, her body already screaming for her husband's touch, the show of dominance and power Derek was putting on was turning Tiamat like nothing else, it was in this moments that she remembered why she accepted and loved Derek as well, _'His reincarnation indeed…'_ She added a thought with a smirk, thinking of Ddraig.

"I am Derek Hamilton…" He began, his aura increasing as the field started to tremble, even the VIP room was shaking, "The strongest human in the world…" His power suddenly stopped flaring, now only surrounding his body in a protective manner as he finished with an almost godlike voice, "And this generation's Red Dragon Emperor."

* * *

"What!?" Sona screamed, everyone but Seekvaria and Tsubasa sharing her shock. She never expected this, it was major, the Red Dragon Emperor was a force to be reckoned with, they had the ability to practically boost their power to almost infinite levels, lack of power is something they will never struggle with and for what she could feel from Derek, he hasn't even used his dragon power during all the time he's been in the game, meaning that his potential was absolutely ridiculous.

Tsubasa just giggled at her peerage's response, she had the exact same look when Derek told her who he was, it made her even feel small once she realised that he practically had no roof limiting his growth.

"T-This boy…" Lord Gremory muttered, completely aghast by the events.

"Grayfia…" Sirzechs spoke to his {Queen} and wife, saying once she placed her thunderstruck gaze on him, "Has Tiamat really seized control of the field?"

Everybody looked at their King when he said those words, remembering what Derek said about Raiser becoming the victim of his wrath. Grayfia shook her head and checked the field with her magic, looking back at her husband to reply, "Y-Yes milord, Tiamat has complete control of the field now."

Lord and Lady Phenex widened their eyes at that, with the latter saying worriedly, "W-What is he g-going to do to my son?"

Nobody could answer her simply because nobody knew, the only thing that Sirzechs could say is that he has finally understood Jonathan's message loud and clear, he just hoped that his grandson won't end up killing Raiser because Sirzechs could not interfere. Despite being known as a Super-devil, Tiamat was practically at the par with him, it would be useless to try and stop the game now.

* * *

Raiser was now shaking heavily while his eyes and mouth were completely wide, Derek's revelation had completely destroyed his mental fortitude since the mere feel of his aura when it was being released was excruciatingly intoxicating, it made him remember the one simple warning every single race in the world had regarding dragons, you don't piss them off, ever.

Rias and her peerage were of a similar state, awe, fear and lust filling their bodies as they now realised the true extent of what the Hamilton heir was capable of. Being the Red Dragon Emperor meant that you inherited the power of a creature capable of destroying the world if it so desired, Derek was now revealed to be one of the few with the power to completely change the course of history.

"I once heard that your family preached about being descendants of the legendary Phoenix…" Derek's powerful voice said, "'The ruler of sky and fire' you say… _huff_ …" He added followed by a snort, finding it pathetic, "While the Phoenix is in fact an incredible creature, it still has one predator, do you know what creature stands over the fire-bird, Raiser?"

Raiser could only whisper, his heart and mind practically shattered in fear, "D-Dragons…"

"Correct…" Derek nodded, his posture changing from passive to active as he added, "I shall demonstrate why."

Nobody could even see Derek moving as his speed was incredible, creating shockwaves on his path before he reached the kneeling Phenex who could only yell in pain as Derek's fist made contact with his head, crashing his body on the ground with such force that a shockwave was created when he hit the soil.

Raiser had no time to regain his bearings since Derek grabbed him by the hair and threw him up, a sudden condensed burst of wind coming off from Derek's palms sending him high up in the air only to be kicked on his back by Derek who incredibly appeared behind him in a second.

Raiser managed to recover some of his bravado after he landed, shakily standing up as he screamed, "You p-pathetic worm! I am a Phenex! I-I am immortal!" He brought his hands forward and released a torrent of melting fire straight at Derek who refused to move or show anything at all.

Everyone observed shocked how the fire didn't even burned Derek's clothes, it was almost as if fire itself refused to harm him. Derek simply waved his arms to the sides, dispersing the fire with a gust of wind before he said, "Like I said, pathetic…" His hands were suddenly coated by black flames, flames known to be Ddraig's original, "This is true fire." The Hamilton shot the flames towards Raiser.

"AH!…" Raiser screamed, pain invading every little nerve he had, "H-How!?…" He screamed again while he thrashed around, trying to turn off the fire, "W-Why does it burn!?" He knew it shouldn't be burning, he was immortal, he was practically immune to pain, to fire, but here he was, suffering the most excruciating pain in his life, and by fire at that.

"Because you don't understand fire as we dragons do…" Derek spoke as he slowly walked towards the man in flames, "You treat it as a weapon, we treat it as a limb, an extension of ourselves, a part of our souls…" He reached the kneeling Raiser, adding as he grabbed his hair, "You feel the fire because it contains every little thing I am, and you are not strong enough to stand it."

Derek then started running through the field, dragging's Raiser's head through the dirt as the man screamed for mercy, not able to even lift a finger as he was being subjected to the most brutal treatment of his life.

* * *

"D-Does he has to be so… brutal?…" Lady Gremory whispered as she watched slightly terrified how the Red Dragon Emperor dragged Raiser all over the field, the Phenex's body getting destroyed over and over again as Derek allowed him to recover, just to continue the torture.

" _Sigh…"_ Lord Phenex sighed, despite wanting to go there and help his son, he couldn't do a thing, only holding his distressed wife's hands was reachable right now, "Despite my anger right now… I cannot deny that Raiser had it coming." He knew that he and his wife had failed their son, he only hoped that Derek would let him live so that they could mend their mistakes.

Sirzechs remained quiet among the nervous chatter around him, everyone was feeling and witnessing the brutality the Hamilton was capable of and the Lucifer knew that despite being still stronger than him, Derek would have no fear of facing him face to face. Heck, Sirzechs was willing to bet that despite being weaker, Derek might be able to find a way to beat him.

The young King just sighed, he knew that many devils were starting to cause chaos in the human world, this was Jonathan's message to him, warning him to either control his race or face having Humanity doing it for him. Though he could also tell that Derek was genuinely fighting for Rias' freedom, he just hoped that the silverette understands why he couldn't help his beloved sister.

* * *

"… P-Please…" Raiser whispered, no longer capable of even standing, "N-No more…"

Derek dropped him on the ground like a sack of rubbish, turning him on his back with his foot before Rias screamed at him, "D-Derek!…" The silverette turned to look at the beautiful redhead, seeing how every member of her peerage were looking at him with both awe and fear, Tiamat was just practically shaking with her almost palpable lust, "It's e-enough… i-it's over…" Rias added, trying to calm her crush down. Despite feeling incredibly happy knowing that she will be free and that the one she yearned for was the responsible for freeing her, she did not enjoyed watching this incredibly dark version of him, it made her now understand what Seekvaria meant when she told them that Derek was absolutely not a good guy.

Derek stared at Rias for some seconds, his neon green eyes making her squirm on her place as she thought that she might have angered him. Derek could've ignore her request and continue his torture on Raiser, but much to his chagrin, Rias had apparently won a place in his heart that made him sigh and relent, his aura receding fully as he slowly turned back to normal.

Everyone sighed relieved at that, but their relief was short-lived when Derek lifted Raiser up by the throat, the barely awake man struggling for breath as Derek said, "Since I… had to cut our playtime short, I shall skip to the ending then…" He confused them all when the silverette brought his free hand to Raiser's crotch, cupping it before he added, "I believe that Seekvaria told you that if you didn't changed your attitude, you were going to lose your masculinity in the most brutal and humiliating of ways…" Raiser then widened his eyes in fear when he started feeling his crotch getting heated, "I have to make good on my woman's promise then."

Everyone stared in shock as Derek's hand started to glow while Raiser's crotch burned. Hearing the male's inhuman screams made everyone, even Tiamat, avert their eyes from the sight as it was too much to bear, they all could practically feel Raiser's pain, eliciting a sense of pity for the man at the moment, despite their distaste for him.

Raiser stopped screaming after he finally lost his consciousness, Derek retracting his hand from the man's crotch as the scent of burnt flesh filled the air. Derek then just let Raiser drop to the ground, his mouth wide while a horrified look adorned his pale face, drool falling form his mouth while he twitched randomly, some slight replicas of pain still assaulting him.

Derek then turned to look at his wife, the woman barely capable of restraining herself from sexually assaulting him right in front of everyone, "Tiamat…" The woman locked her eyes to him as he commanded, "It's over."

Tiamat just inhaled to control her lust, the show of power she just witnessed was making it impossible to focus on anything else than her mate right now. But even in an almost lust-crazed state, she could still feel the authority her mate's voice carried, so she only nodded and started transporting Raiser to the medical ward while she and the rest were transported to the VIP room, knowing that Derek wanted to make sure that his message has been heard.

* * *

In the VIP room, everybody prepared to receive Rias and her peerage along with Derek and his wife. Despite the fact that he had apparently just left Raiser unable to produce children, it occurred during a Rating Game and just like some nobles liked to say, 'accidents' do tend to happen during a game, they now had to suck it up.

So nobody could do anything else but congratulate Rias for her win, Sirzechs saying to Derek, "That was quite the… show… you gave us." He extended his hand to shake Derek's.

The Hamilton however, shocked everyone when he didn't moved his arms away from their crossed posture, completely ignoring the friendliness from the Lucifer as he replied with a shrug, "I am an entertainer…" He narrowed his eyes slightly at the King, adding, "I truly hope you have understand my… _art_."

Oh, Sirzechs definitely understood his _art_ quite well, nodding his head as he silently told the silverette that he will deal with his people as soon as possible.

Lord Phenex then walked towards Derek, extending his hand as he said with a heavy sigh, "I wish you wouldn't have been so… brutal… with my son, but you made a true show of power back there, congratulations Mr Hamilton."

Derek ignored the man as well, prompting Seekvaria to say to him, "Hehe… D-Derek, dear, don't be so rude…" She added in between gritted teeth, "They are important people." She tried to admonish him for his behaviour with the Gremory and Phenex lords as well as the Devil King.

Derek however, once again shocked them all when he said, "You already know that I am a dragon, we don't give a blaze about titles…" He narrowed his eyes as he added, "I will shake hands with those that I respect, no one else."

Despite being powerful people, the lords of Gremory and Phenex did gulped at the hostility shown by the young man, even Sirzechs chuckled nervously as he held his wife back from trying to berate the Hamilton.

Rias, although incredibly happy and practically in love with him now, still said, "D-Derek… they are the lords of Gremory a-and Phenex…" She then added while she pointed at her older brother, "AND the KING of Devils, y-you have to show them respect."

Derek just shrugged as he countered, "Tell me Rias, why should I respect two people willing to throw their daughter into the hands of a man capable of raping her given the chance? All for the sake of purity in devils…" Everyone was shocked when they heard that, Rias completely aghast as she too thought the same at the moment, even the Gremory lords visibly winced at that, "Why should I respect the parents of said man who clearly despite knowing about their son's misbehaviour, decided to do absolutely naught and instead, allowed another young woman to fall pray of him…" It was then the Phenex's turn to wince, not even capable of debating that, "And lastly, why should I respect a _King_ who despite clearly wanting to help his sister, decided to let a bunch of old bags of flesh to dictate what he could and couldn't do? If it was my sister the one we're talking about, I would have been willing to wage war against Great Red himself."

Nobody said a thing, too shocked to even blink after witnessing the human-dragon completely tearing down five of the most notable devils that existed. Sirzechs was the one that recovered first, sighing in disappointment at himself since he knew that Derek was completely right, he had allowed the elders to dictate his moves, a huge mistake on his part that he hoped he could change soon because despite the fact that humans were allied with the devils, the alliance was fragile and Derek was the future of humanity, meaning that once Jonathan retires, the silverette will be the one to take his place. So trying to at least show a goodwill of amicability, the Devil King said with a small smile, "Then allow me to repay you for stepping up for Rias in my stead, I shall grant you whatever you wish as a sign of gratitude, you've done me a great favour despite knowing that I did not deserved it."

Derek studied the handsome redheaded devil before him carefully, trying to dissect any sign of hidden purpose in his words. He was surprised to see that the King truly regretted his mistake, making Derek sigh as he relaxed his stance and said, "I shall take your word then…" He closed his eyes for a moment, thinking on a suitable reward. He opened them later once he found one, so said, "Your {Queen}…"

Everybody widened their eyes and gasped at that, Grayfia completely aghast while a small blush adorned her cheeks, embarrassed when her husband chuckled amusedly at the silverette's words.

"Derek!" Tsubasa screamed scandalised, a dangerous glint in her eyes shared by her fellow Harem sisters, requesting for an immediate explanation from their lover.

Derek just sighed, massaging his temple as he said, "You didn't let me finish…" He looked at the woman in question as he added, "I want Grayfia to help with a little… errand… I must do…" He looked back at Sirzechs to continue, "I require someone stronger than me for this; I would prefer you Sirzechs, but you are a King, therefore you are not able to leave so easily… Miss Grayfia here is the perfect substitute as she meets all the requirements."

Derek's women just chuckled as they shook their heads, everyone else just releasing a breath they didn't know they were holding, probably fearing an altercation between their King and the Hamilton heir. Grayfia visibly relaxed, though there was a small sense of disappointment in her heart that she immediately squashed.

Sirzechs just laughed, finding everyone's expression amusing, he already knew why Derek asked him for a helper since he had already asked for something else related to said job before, "If it's okay with you, Grayfia?…" His wife shook her head before she nodded, "Then it's settled, Grayfia will help you when you require."

"There are some things I must do first but as soon as I finish them, I shall report to you, Lord Hamilton." Grayfia said diligently, bowing her head slightly as she did not wanted to mess up with him again.

Derek just waved his hand dismissively, saying, "There is no need to rush, I am nowhere near finding our target, I estimate that it will take us a year at least to find it, just be ready when I call you…" The woman nodded at him. Derek then turned around and started walking towards the door, saying, "Seek, get me the fuck out of here, Real Madrid's game is almost about to begin and your house is the only one where I can see it here in the Underworld."

Seekvaria just chuckled, bowing to everyone there as she said, "Well, it has been a pleasure…" She bowed to her King, saying, "My lord." She walked towards her fiancé then as he was suddenly surrounded by Tsubasa and Tiamat, everyone incredibly needy of him right now, not that Seekvaria wasn't feeling likewise.

Rias watched as Derek disappeared along with his mates, a small frown on her face when her moment with him was obstructed by the man's lovers. But there was nothing she could do for now, she will have to show her gratitude to him at a later time, right now she needed to discuss some things with her family.

Sirzechs for his part just observed his sister, he could tell that she was starting to feel strongly for the Hamilton and he couldn't blame her, Derek was an imposing figure and now that word of his status was going to be spread throughout the world, there will be many powerful women coming after him, a mate like him was incredibly hard to come by after all. But now he needed to talk with his fellow Satans, measures regarding their subordinates needed to be made, otherwise they risked facing Human interference. Despite their natural arrogance, every devil knew that they needed humans to survive, not the other way around.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, there ya lads have it, hope you liked it! I'm out, cheers!**


	7. Aftermath

**A/N: Yo waddup! Fucking hell I wanted to make this a short one, sort of like an extra Chapter, but fucking thing still ended being 12k, so enjoy.**

 **As I said, this one's really all about the aftermath of Derek's revelation as well as a small glimpse at what the villains are up to.  
**

 **There's a lemon here for the sake of fan service I guess.**

 **Also, someone said to me that they felt like Derek had too many girls, I don't know why you would assume that since he only has Seekvaria, Tiamat, Tsubasa and Kuroka. THERE are many attracted to him, but as I said some chapters before, some will be involved in a relationship with him, some will only have sex, some will only kiss and some will remain as mere allies, haven't decided which ones yet though, we'll see along the way.**

 **That's all for now, enjoy!**

"Derek" - Normal Speech.

 _'Derek'_ \- Thought.

 _"Derek"_ \- Derek mentally speaking.

 **"Ddraig"** \- Ddraig/Albion speaking through the Sacred Gears/Divinities talking.

 _ **"Ddraig"**_ \- Ddraig speaking inside Derek's mind.

* * *

 **Aftermath**

" _=Oh! And the referee is disallowing Ronaldo's goal!…="_ A TV commentator said, as fervent as any other football commentator, _"=The assistant referee has raised the flag and signalled an offside from Benzema who delivered the pass to Cristiano Ronaldo!="_

Derek crushed the can of beer he was holding, hate radiating from his body as he seethed, "How in the blazes do you call that an offside, you uncultured swine!?…" He gritted his teeth as he watched the replay, where he could clearly see that Benzema was not offside, "Fucking referee, only because Real is winning, I will spare your miserable life." He added, his eyes narrowed at the poor sod in question who strangely shivered.

" _Gigigi_ …" Tiamat chuckled as she watched her husband trying to kill the referee with his eyes. She was alongside Seekvaria and Tsubasa, resting in an outdoors terrace outside the living room of the Agares Mansion, all of them recovering their strength after undergoing a small orgy with their mate. Tiamat will always wonder how Derek was capable of outperforming them in the stamina department, all three together at that, "I truly wonder who will Derek choose between us and Cristiano Ronaldo if someone ever dares to kidnap us… hihi…"

Tsubasa and Seekvaria giggled as well, with the Agares stating, "He would save us all but there is no question that Ronaldo would be the one he tries to reach first." She laughed loudly at that, her fellow Harem sisters all agreeing with their laughs.

A sudden large magic circle then appeared some steps away from them, a total of twenty-two figures showing, then revealed to be Raiser's peerage, Rias and her group, accompanied by Grayfia and surprisingly, Lady Phenex, an almost unnoticeable pleading look adorning her gorgeous face.

Seekvaria sipped her tea, commenting, "My, my, Grayfia, what is it with you and not announcing your visits?" She giggled when the Queen of Annihilation blushed as she realised that once again she had trespassed private property.

"I-I apologise…" Grayfia started saying before Seekvaria cut her off.

"I was just kidding, Grayfia! Relax…" Seekvaria giggled with the rest, finding the woman's sudden embarrassment quite cute, "I see that you've brought my fiancé's new subordinates." She eyed Raiser's former peerage, observing as they all squirmed under her gaze, probably wondering what kind of master were they going to be placed with.

Grayfia nodded as Rias and her peerage found a place to sit, the redheaded Princess waiting for Derek to finish watching his game, "That is correct, Lady Seekvaria…" The silver-haired woman looked at the fifteen women by her side, focusing on the young blonde one as she added, "I have taken their pieces from them, they are no longer part of the Phenex house, but there is a request that Lady Phenex wishes to make."

The beautiful blonde woman who looked like an older version of Raiser's sister stepped up, saying as she made to walk towards Derek, "I shall speak to h…"

Tsubasa cut her off however, when she jumped to her feet and gently pushed the woman backwards, blushing when she realised her disrespect, "I-I am sorry f-for that, Lady Phenex…" She inhaled, eyeing her boyfriend while she added, "But when Derek is watching a football game, unless there is a nuke falling our way or the beer is out, interrupting him c-could get very dangerous." She gulped, remembering the one time she made that horrible mistake. All she got was a set of spanks though, but she knew that her punishment was lenient because of her status with him.

Seekvaria, Tiamat and even Rias and her peerage all nodded, all of them once or twice suffering some form of punishment when they dared to interrupt the man on his personal time, "Derek is a very busy man, so only when he is watching football he gets to relax and enjoy lif…" Seekvaria was saying before a raging scream cut her off.

"YOU FUCKING CROSS-EYED PLONKER! MARCELO WAS MAKING THE FLIPPING RUN! PASS. THE FUCKING. BALL, ISCO!" Derek's hate-filled scream was surely heard throughout the whole Underworld, a little bit of his power flaring, making everyone present sweat-drop as they all turned to look at Seekvaria with raised eyebrows.

Seekvaria sighed before she muttered defeated, "M-Most of the time, that is…" She shook her head before she urged, "So please Lady Phenex, take a sit, the game is ten minutes from ending."

Lady Phenex just muttered, "U-Umm… right…" She then sat, saying to Seekvaria after, "I really just want to request for my daughter's freedom." She eyed her shivering daughter, clearly afraid of what may happen.

"Whoa whoa whoa…" Tsubasa muttered and while she eyed Tiamat who felt lost as well, she questioned the Agares, "Seek, what are THEY doing here?" She pointed at the females standing diligently.

Seekvaria chuckled sheepishly, knowing that Derek will definitely not be happy with her bet, "W-Well, you see… I h-had to push Raiser into accepting the game so I… e-enticed him with me as a prize too…" Tsubasa and Tiamat raised their eyebrows as the blonde continued, "T-The thing was though, that i-if Raiser lost… all of h-his peerage would belong to… D-Derek."

Tsubasa was completely shocked while Tiamat just chuckled and shook her head, saying amused, "You do know that Derek is going to be angry for this, right?"

Seekvaria just blushed in embarrassment but before she could say anything, the youngest heir of the Phenex, Ravel, spoke affrightedly, "I-Is… h-hi… u-umm… I m-mean… M-Master… violent?" Those not related to Derek could see that question was shared by everyone, probably because of how brutal he was with all of them during the game.

Seekvaria just shook her head, a gentle smile on her face when she responded, "He is, but not with people that are nice to him. If you don't want him to be an asshole to you, just don't be an asshole to him and that's it…" She sipped her tea, looking at her mate for a second before she continued, "As long as you don't try anything on him or those he cares for, you are completely safe from his wrath…" She sighed, "He will not be very pleased with this…" The women winced but relaxed when she added, "But he will accept it and take care of all of you, you have my word."

As the women relaxed just slightly since they could see that the Agares was being honest, Lady Phenex spoke, worry etched in her voice, "B-But what we saw… a-and all the things I've h-heard of him…"

Seekvaria looked at the woman, deducing, "I guess you're talking about Somalia, right?"

Lady Phenex nodded with an audible gulp, shivers running down her spine as she remembered what she heard from Sirzechs himself.

Ravel feeling confused, asked timidly, "W-What is 'Somalia'?"

Seekvaria sighed when she saw everyone, even Tiamat and Tsubasa, looking at her inquisitively, letting her know that not even her fellow Harem sisters knew of that event, though it was probably because they never asked. It wasn't a secret, as Derek specifically did it so that everyone, even supernatural beings, understood that he was not someone to play with, so seeing no problem with telling, she began, "Somalia was a country in Africa where Derek had a… skirmish."

Rias raised an eyebrow, taking every chance she had to get to know the man she was now sure loved better, asking, "Was?"

Seekvaria hummed while sipping her tea, explaining after, "Was indeed, it was completely destroyed by Derek two years ago…" Everyone gasped at that, widening their eyes even more when the Agares added grimly, "Along with more than five million of its population."

There was no sound after that, everybody completely frozen as the Agares' words registered in their minds. To have a kill count on the millions, was the stuff of a mad man who committed genocide, which was basically what Derek did. Raiser's former peerage went back to be afraid after hearing what their new master was capable of.

"W-Why would he d-do such… a thing?" Rias whispered, once again remembering that Derek was still a complete enigma. They were devils, so hearing about murder was not something shocking, nor was committing it, but genocide was another thing.

"Because…" The cold voice of Derek suddenly made everyone gulp as they felt his presence walking inside the room, imposing as ever when he responded with his icy blues surveying the room, "Some fool thought he could kidnap my sister, he also thought that I was going to hold back when being surrounded by innocents…" He lowered his voice, finishing with a tone that sent shivers down everyone's spines, "I made sure to let everyone know that it will not work."

Even Grayfia gulped when Derek's eyes landed on her before they moved towards the fifteen women who looked to be about ready to drop to their knees and cry for mercy, "What are they doing here?" Derek questioned, his gaze now leaving the squirming women.

Tsubasa paled, standing up before she leaned on and stole a kiss from Derek, saying hastily, "O-Oh I… I g-gotta go back to the P-Pres! I s-see ya guys later!" She disappeared in a second after.

Tiamat surprisingly too showed the same nervousness, stealing a kiss from her husband too before she said to everyone, "I h-have a game to oversee so I b-better get going, bye!" She then left with the same haste, leaving a confused Derek behind.

"Oh… NOW I'm the legal wife…" Seekvaria mumbled, gritting her teeth in annoyance as she saw her fellow sisters leaving her alone to deal with their mate.

"Seekvaria." Derek's annoyed voice won the Agares' attention back as he looked at her intently, his eyes already showing the annoyance she was sure was about to increase, all the while the others present stayed absolutely quiet, not daring to intrude at the moment.

Seekvaria gulped, standing up and walking towards him to say cutely, "H-Have I told y-you that I love you more t-than life itself?…" Derek's only response was his eyes narrowing even more at her, prompting her to sigh as she muttered, "At least, r-remember all t-the embarrassing positions y-you had me some moments earlier while I e-explain…" She blushed as she realised that she said that aloud, Derek still narrowing his eyes, urging her to once again sigh in order to gather the strength to admit, "I s-sort of… umm… made a… b-bet… with R-Raiser…"

Derek's aura started to fill the space, forcing everyone inside to gulp, even Grayfia was feeling nervous right now, "What kind of bet?" The Hamilton questioned, his voice cold but full of authority.

That kind of voice was impossible for Seekvaria to fight, her own body and mind automatically did as told whenever he spoke to her like that, he was her Alpha after all, "I u-umm… b-betted… myself…" She was surprised when he growled for a millisecond, showing her an incredible rare sign of jealousy, "B-But if Raiser was to l-lose…"

"His peerage would go to me." Derek finished for her as he sighed and massaged his temples, not even caring to argue right now.

"Y-Yes…" Seekvaria whispered, meekly looking down as she added another whisper, "S-Sorry."

Derek just sighed again, not saying a thing while he looked to the women in question, all of them squirming and shivering visibly, probably afraid of their future. Lady Phenex then stood up, stuttering a little when she spoke, "E-Excuse me, L-Lord Hamilton…" Derek turned to look at the woman, observing her pleading eyes as she added, "I b-beg you, release my d-daughter."

Derek looked at the girl who suddenly hid herself behind her mother, recognising her as the sister of Raiser. Derek then just looked at the woman again, annoyance clear in his eyes when he responded, "She, none of them, belong to me, the practice of slavery, which is so cherished among you Bats, is something that disgusts my dragon nature…" Despite the relief and surprise that Raiser's ex peerage and his mother felt, the Lady Phenex, Seekvaria and Rias all winced at that, knowing that dragons absolutely despised the word 'servant', "They are free to do what they want, to go wherever the fuck they wish, fuck, they may return to the Fried Chicken if they so desire…" He wasn't so surprised when none of the females seemed to want that, "Which I guess it's not what you want." He sighed, seeing that there was no other way now.

Lady Phenex bowed, saying gratefully, "Y-You are very kind, now I s-see why Lord Lucifer respects you so much."

Her daughter walked shyly up front, bowing as she also added, "T-Thank you M… uh… I-I mean… L-Lord Hamilton."

Derek only hummed and nodded.

Seeing that he was starting to get annoyed, Lady Phenex decided to not waste his time anymore, so said, "T-Then we shall take our leave…" She turned to look at her son's peerage, inquiring, "A-Any of you wish to come with us?" She wasn't surprised either by everyone's refusal, but it did made her frown at herself for allowing Raiser to become such an abuser. Now all that was left of him, was a hollow carcass who could only stare at a void and repeat the word 'dragon' over and over again.

Derek observed as Lady Phenex left with her daughter, Grayfia then adding, "I presume that you will accept them then, Lord Hamilton?"

Derek just nodded, saying, "Yes Grayfia, I'll take it from here…" The beauty nodded and disappeared after, leaving the now fourteen women who slowly were starting to feel more at ease as they realised that if Derek had such a pull with women, then it meant that he was not such a bad guy, "Does any of you have any place you wish to go back? I can provide you with the necessary means to do so."

Yubelluna looked at her comrades, seeing that none of them had any place in mind so she said, "N-No, M-Master, none of us r-really has anywhere e-else to go… not anymore." She was actually surprised when she saw the handsome man shaking his head in sympathy, understanding that some of them were taken away from their homes without asking.

"Then I shall take care of you…" Derek said, Seekvaria smiling slightly behind him as he continued, "But you will have to stay in a separate house than mine, I'm a famous person and paparazzi are following me all the time, I cannot have a house full of gorgeous women and me living in it, it will cause a huge fuss…" The women nodded at that, Derek then adding, "I will buy the houses that surround mine in Luxembourg, you'll live there and that way you'll still be next to me…" He looked at them all, continuing, "You also must now that while I will allow you to do whatever you wish, be it working for me in the military or opening your own ice cream shop, you will continue to train and get stronger, now that I have you, the idea of having my own personal militia does entices me."

The women had their eyes wide, they never expected to be given so much freedom, heck, after what they saw back in the Rating Game, they never expected their new master to be so, relaxed. Seekvaria only smiled wider, happy to see that Derek was realising the benefits of this, she has always pictured him as a ruler after all, and she will do all in her power to give her love the force he desired.

He then approached one of the youngest looking of them all, a black-haired gentle looking girl with light-brown eyes who was wearing a kimono that covered her whole body. Overall she looked to be the most kind of them all, "What is your name and what piece was used on you?" Derek questioned the pretty girl.

The girl in question fidgeted while a blush adorned her cheeks, now capable of taking in her new master's unbearable good looks. Raiser was handsome, but Derek was a god of good looks, "M-My name is M-Mihae, M-Master… a-and I a-am… umm… w-was… a {Bishop}."

Derek surprised everyone when he patted the girl's head, Mihae blushing even harsher when she felt the incredible difference of standing before him as an ally and not an enemy, something she was going to keep in mind for the rest of her life, "Relax Mihae, I am not asking to judge any of you, I'm asking to call you by your names and to know what type of fighter you are." His answer definitely diminished almost all of the women's fears, seeing that he was being completely honest and that for the first time since they could remember, they were going to be treated as allies, not servants.

Mihae smiled slightly as he walked towards the next female, a pale-blue-haired female who had her tanned and toned body covered only by a bikini-like armour, it looked a lot like the one that once used Princess Leia in Star Wars. She had her striking amber eyes looking at him, trying to seem confident, but Derek was capable of noticing the small shivers that ran through her body, still nervous of him and her new life. Derek only nodded at the woman, so she said, "I am S-Shuriya, I w-was a {Pawn} and I a-am ready to do as you bid, M-Master." She smiled a little when he nodded slightly at her, a small reassuring smile on his face that did make her feel better.

He then moved to the next two who he recognised, "If I remember correctly…" He started saying, "You are Ile…" He looked at one of the two smallest of the group, "And you are Nel, both of you were a {Pawn}, correct?"

Both twins just nodded, shyly looking at the ground while they squirmed. They were the youngest so after seeing what he did to them during the game, it was obvious that they would be the ones feeling more nervous.

Derek just patted their heads, again surprising his friends and the women as the two nervous twins did calmed down a little after. He then moved to the next one, a tall woman with short brown messy hair, a white mask covering the right side of her face. She was wearing a green jacket with the midriff part tore off, the upper side of it was open to allow a view of her bountiful cleavage. She donned a pair of blue jeans that had a section of it cut off to show her right thigh and overall she looked like the toughest one in the group.

The woman smirked confidently, being the calmest out of all of them, though Derek could see that it was mainly because she respected his strength, "I am Isabella and I used to be a {Rook}…" The woman next to her nudged her, making Isabella stutter as she realised how rash she sounded, "M-Master."

Derek just snickered lowly, nodding at the muscle-brained female before he walked towards the one that nudged her, the girl he recognised as Mira, "Mira, right?" He asked.

Mira gulped while she nodded, a small blush adorning her cheeks when she responded, "Y-Yes Master… I-I… was a {Pawn}."

Derek nodded at the blue-haired woman, offering her an almost unnoticeable smile that served to calm her nerves a little. He then observed the one standing next to her, a light-brown-haired woman with cute honey-coloured eyes, she was wearing a typical maid outfit that only showed her arms. She seemed to be a little arrogant but Derek could say that for all of them, probably because of Raiser's own attitude, "My n-name is M-Marion and I… umm… I w-was a {Pawn}." The woman said with a bow, despite her cocky aura, she seemed to fear him like the rest.

"Don't bow…" Derek then said, bringing the woman's face up by gently lifting her head by the chin, the woman blushing harshly for the contact, "When you speak to me, I want your heads held high." Marion and the rest smiled slightly at that, almost already sure that they just hit the jackpot.

Derek then moved on to the next one, another girl with light-brown short hair and piercing green eyes. She was wearing a set of armour that seemed to be a mix between European knight and samurai, a headband wrapped around her hair and forehead. She had a sword and some daggers tied to her hip, her hand resting on the hilt of the sword, telling Derek that she was a capable and diligent swordswoman, "M-My name is K-Karlamine, M-Master… and I used to b-be a… {Knight}." She said the last with some melancholy that Derek caught.

Karlamine was then shocked when Derek shook his head, saying, "You haven't stopped being a knight, Karlamine, one never stops being that, I am a fellow swordsman as well…" She, her group and the Gremory widened their eyes at that, not knowing that since he never used a sword, "I didn't used my swordsmanship because it's my most powerful form, if you ever see me drawing my sword, it means that I am going to destroy and kill a lot of folks…" Everyone gulped, now not really wanting to see him fight with a sword, "I look forward to teach you, I can tell by your posture that your training was incomplete."

Karlamine just widened her eyes, excitement running through her body as she fervently nodded. If her master was incredibly powerful without using his sword, then she could only imagine how stronger he becomes when he uses his most powerful form, "T-Thank you, M-Master, it w-will be an h-honour." She added a bow, a small smile on her face as now she, like the rest of her group, were convinced that their lives have turned for the better.

Derek nodded, walking towards the next pair who just like Ile and Nel, seemed to be twins. They looked to be in their late teens, probably the third youngest of the group, just above Nel, Ile and Mihae. Due to their brown cat ears and tails, it was obvious that both girls were nekomata, both wearing skimpy sailor-like attires, the top showing their stomach and lower breasts while a very short skirt barely covered their crotch. Derek did not liked their outfits at all. The only thing that differentiated both females was their hair and eyes, as one had blue hair and red eyes, while the other one had red hair and blue eyes.

Both seemed to react just like Koneko whenever he was around, immediately submitting themselves to him as one said timidly, "H-Hello Master… I u-umm… I-I'm Ni…" The blue-haired one introduced herself, seemingly being the most brave of the two, "A-And this is my s-sister Li."

Li squirmed under the gaze of her new master, a delightful shiver running down her body as her nekomata instincts were telling her to mate him since he was the most powerful being she has ever encountered. Dragons were known to be the top predators, the two strongest beings in the universe were dragons after all.

Li inhaled and looked up timidly at Derek, a blush on her cheeks when she greeted, "H-Hello, Ma-Master."

Derek just smirked mischievously, bringing a hand to Li's head where he started to rub her ear, Li purring excitedly while Derek commented, "Seems like little Koneko has new competition." Koneko growled a little on the back, despite her confusion regarding her sister, she did not wanted to lose her place with Derek.

"M-Master…" Li whined, squirming while she tried to control her instincts, she did not expected her body to respond so strongly to her new master's touch.

Derek just snorted as he retracted his hand, asking to her jealous sister, "I take it that you both were {Pawn}?"

Ni shook her head, responding after, "Y-Yes Master."

Derek nodded and moved on to the next female, the Chinese beauty he recognised as Xuelan, "Xuelan, right?"

Xuelan cowered under Derek's imposing presence, despite the medical treatment she received after the game, her face still hurt after he so brutally punched her right on her gorgeous face. It was clear to Derek that she was the one that feared him the most out of her group, "Y-Yes M-Master… I w-was a… _gulp_ … {Rook}."

Derek then surprised them all when he brought his hand to her cheek, gently caressing it while he whispered, locking his blues to hers, "Relax Xuelan, it was just a fight." She surprisingly leaned on his touch, a gentle smile adorning her face as she showed signs of feeling more at ease when she nodded slightly.

Derek nodded back and moved on to the girl beside Xuelan, a tall beautiful black-haired woman with a blue hue to it, her hair styled in five long ponytails messily going around her head, all tied by a golden hair accessory. Her outfit consisted of a white top with a diamond-shaped opening in the chest area, showing some of her large breasts, she had red shorts and armoured knee-high boots with matching gauntlets, a huge Zweihänder resting on her back as she stood slightly relaxed, telling Derek that the woman despite being a knight, did not diligently followed the code, "My n-name is Siris and I a-am a {Knight}, Master." She said, despite the relaxed way her body seemed to move, Derek could still feel the respect and fear the woman felt for him.

Derek nodded, saying back, "It will be my pleasure to teach you as well, Siris." The woman smiled slightly at that, eager to get stronger with the help of her new master, someone that she had no doubt hasn't even shown his true power.

Derek then looked at the woman next to Siris, a young gorgeous female with shoulder-length brown hair, dressed in a maid uniform that exposed her cleavage a lot. The woman's piercing blue eyes were the ones that caught Derek's attention the most though, "I a-am B-Burent and I used to b-be a {Pawn}…" The now identified Burent bowed before she corrected herself, remembering that Derek told them not to bow. She revelled in the small smirk her new master sent her way, pleased for her action, "I s-shall serve you with t-the best of my c-capabilities, Master." She added with conviction, Derek realising that the woman wanted to be out of Raiser's clutches for some time now.

Derek nodded and with that, he stood right before the oldest and strongest one, Raiser's former {Queen}. She nodded slightly, trying to show a tough front but Derek could feel the woman's nervousness, "I am Yubelluna, m-milord. I was Raiser's {Queen} but I am eager to show you my abilities and s-serve you as you see fit, Master." Derek could hear how she tried harder to hide her emotions when she mentioned Raiser's name, it was clear to him that she was the one that wanted to get out of his grip the most, she was probably the one he abused more often.

Derek nodded, walking to stand before all of them to say, "I can sense your fear, confusion and nervousness…" The females widened their eyes at that, "I don't know what kind of things the Chicken did to you…" They winced, telling him all he needed to know, "But you don't have to worry about that anymore, you are free, you may do as you please, as long as you don't break the law of course, I am an enforcer of said law after all…" They gulped, promising to follow the law to the letter since they did not wanted to fight him ever again, "I also have no trouble with you calling me 'Master', but you can use my name, in fact, I would prefer that you do but I understand you may feel more comfortable with 'Master' for now…" They nodded at him, "Just don't do it in public or with humans around, it will cause a lot of trouble if you do…" They nodded again and he then sat, saying after, "With that set, I want you to go and ask any maid you find to take you to Seekvaria's {Bishop}, once you find her, tell her to get you a lot of new clothes fit for the human world, I despise the kind of outfits you're wearing."

"W-Why?" Yubelluna questioned, not really liking their clothes but they've used them for so long that she already grew accustomed to it.

"Because they're only meant to provoke a boner…" Derek stated dryly, "I won't force you to change them if you feel comfortable with them, but you may only use them in private. You cannot use those in the human world and while I do understand that the outfits can distract a horny enemy, the kind of enemies I have will not give a fuck about your bodies, they only care about killing you, not even if you spread your legs to them will they lower their guards, I will get you proper battle outfits."

They all nodded at that, feeling a little excited to get a new wardrobe, they were all girls after all. They then bid their master goodbye and followed the maid that arrived in order to do as they were told, all wondering what kind of life awaited them.

Derek just sighed while he massaged his temples, Seekvaria wrapping her arms around his neck from behind him as she whispered to his ear, "Y-You're not mad, are you?"

Derek relaxed, turning to look at the woman before he delivered a deep kiss, surprising the Gremory since they have never seen him so caring, "No…" He stated dryly once he broke the kiss, Seekvaria needing some moments to regain her bearings as Derek said to both she and Rias, "Now, Rias and Seek…" Both women looked at him, "How would you like to fill some places in your peerages?"

Everyone widened their eyes when they understood what he meant, both heiresses sharing a look before they started considering who the best candidates to fill the remaining places in their respective groups were.

* * *

" _Yawn_ … Do I have to be present for this?…" A tall slightly muscular man said with lazy eyes. He was completely bald with only a goatee on his chin, wearing a military armour that seemed to be quite heavy. He was stretching his body lazily, showing that he wished to be anywhere else but here, "Isn't this Serafall's job?" He then added.

The woman in question pouted. A beautiful young female with black hair tied in twin long ponytails. Her body seemed to belong to a young teenager, though with large breasts. Her eyes were a mesmerising violet and was wearing a strange wizard-like outfit that only served to show her figure more, " _Mou_ … Falbi is not cooperating!" Serafall whined while she showed her tongue to her fellow King.

Sirzechs then sighed as he listened to his quarrelling peers, sometimes wondering how in the hell did those two made it to be Kings, _'Well, we devils value power above all…'_ The redheaded Devil King argued with himself, turning to look at his side to see his closest friend and rival feeling exasperated as well, "Now now, Falbium, Serafall…" The aforementioned devils turned to look at the former Gremory heir when he continued, "You two need to be as FORMAL as you can…" He specifically eyed Serafall's outfit, making the woman whine again before she magically created a formal suit, "You all saw the recording of Rias' game, we must give the Human leadership some insurance."

A thin tall green-haired male standing next to the Lucifer commented, a slight glint of respect dripping into his voice, "Have to admit that the Hamilton heir has definitely left an impression." Ajuka was thinking on all the ripples that the apparition of the Red Dragon Emperor caused. Thanks to his sources, he knew that every mythology existing was already preparing measurements against him and Humanity, it wasn't hard to see that Derek was the most proficient Red Dragon Emperor in history since those who knew Sacred Gears well, could realise that the Hamilton had merged with the legendary Heavenly Dragon known as Ddraig, meaning that he no longer had any limitations and was capable of utilising the Welsh Dragon's full power, something that gave Humanity an incredible edge over everyone. Now the mythologies did not only had to worry about Humanity's vastly superior weaponry, but they also had to add the worry about an elite trained Red Dragon Emperor.

Serafall wriggled her body, saying almost dreamily, "Aaaww yes!… he looked soooo cool and imposing!…" She shivered then, adding, "But he was very brutal!"

Everyone nodded at that, even Falbium seemed to show more awareness as he thought of the human boy. Sirzechs just sighed, saying, "That is exactly why we cannot keep putting this on hold, Jonathan Hamilton is not a man known for his patience, and our inaction has already irritated him enough to have Derek turning the supernatural world upside down with his emergence…" He nodded at Grayfia when his wife let him know that Jonathan and the other human leaders were gathered and waiting for them, "I don't think anyone here wants to see the humans forcing their way into our borders to put order."

Even Ajuka showed nervousness at the very thought, showing how truly weak the Devil side has become after the great Lucifer Morningstar died. They were then transported by Grayfia to the Magnus Tower, headquarters of Hamilton Industries.

The four great Kings flickered into the Hamilton patriarch's office, seeing him sitting there in his desk while three more people sat on the couches in front of the Hamilton leader, "Ah Jonathan…" Sirzechs said with a smile as he greeted the man who greeted him back with a short nod, turning to the other three people present besides them to say, "Sir Evelyn…" An elderly man known to be the Rothschild Family's patriarch frowned at them, Sirzechs knowing that out of the four most powerful humans, he was the one pushing for invasion the most, "Lady Nu…" He offered a gentle smile to the most powerful female in the world of Humans, the one that is in control of all the African continent, "And Mr Li, a pleasure to see you all." He finished greeting the last person in the room, a thin but powerful looking Chinese man who nodded formally at him.

A small laugh then drew everyone's attention to Sir Evelyn de Rothschild when he said with clear amusement in his voice, "I have to give it to your grandson, Jonathan…" The man stared at the blackette to add, "The little show he gave on that Rating Game has definitely put every single mythological side on edge." He laughed loudly then when Jonathan did not hid the smirk.

"Indeed, to have been visited by the leaders of the Fallen, Angels and Devils on the same day, speaks of how good of a job the Human God did, as usual of course." Mr Li added while he sipped some of his tea.

Ajuka looked at his peers before he inquired, "Azazel and Michael came?"

"As Sir Evelyn said…" Villetta Nu spoke, flicking her luscious bluish hair to the side as she smiled slightly, "Derek did a fantastic job reminding you whose land this is." The dark-skinned woman became such a powerful figure when through blood and raw strength, she took control of the Ufuka, the most powerful military group in Africa. She was originally a slave under the previous leader but once she became strong, she took him down and by sheer ruthlessness took the Ufuka for herself, claiming all of Africa with it.

Sirzechs sighed as he sensed the thickness of the atmosphere, everyone but him and Jonathan tense as they passive-aggressively stared at each other. The Devil King was about to say something to try and disarm the tension, but Jonathan beat him to it when he spoke, his voice so powerful that even Sirzechs was surprised that the other humans immediately quieted, "We're not here to glare at each other like a bunch of pathetic children, control yourselves…" The humans did frowned at the black-haired Hamilton but didn't said another thing, once again reminding Sirzechs that Jonathan was Humanity's true leader, "I hope that just like Michael and Azazel, you are here to inform us that your… troublesome… subordinates will be dealt with."

Sirzechs nodded, saying, "That is exactly what we're here for, Jonathan, I assure you that measurements to control our people in your world will be tightened."

"See that you do or else…" Villetta added rudely, narrowing her yellow eyes at the devil leaders as she trailed off to hint a threat.

"Or what!? You'll send your dragon again?" Serafall added, staring at the blue-haired woman as the two entered into a glaring contest.

"Why you…" The Nu stood up, matching Serafall's harsh stare, not even showing any sign of fear to be standing before someone capable of destroying a small country with a single attack.

"Make no mistake…" Jonathan's voice once again dispersed any tension as they all turned to look at the Hamilton who was now standing, watching the city of London through his window while he continued, "Derek is not our weapon, neither is he my 'pet', he mostly acts on his own and does as he wants."

The devils raised their eyebrows at that, with Sirzechs asking, "You didn't told him to send us a message then?"

"Oh I did…" Jonathan replied and after he turned to look at everyone, continued, "But I didn't told him how… the brutalising of the Phenex boy was all him…" He sighed before he continued, "The truth is that Derek is as dangerous to us, as he is to you."

That surprised the devils, they had thought that Derek was probably another weapon, they never thought that the silverette was practically free to do as he wished and therefore, could not be controlled, "I would have guessed that someone like him would be kept under some sort of control." Falbium commented.

Villetta laughed melodically, sighing before she said, "As a race, we are capable of destroying your race…" She ignored the narrowed eyes of Serafall as she continued, "But we also know our limits, no one here is capable of fighting one of you on a one on one fight…" She sighed almost dreamily, "Derek however, is."

Sirzechs then deduced, "I understand that he might have grown beyond someone that could be controlled, I know he is referred to as the 'Human God' so I would guess that there is no one capable of matching him…" The African woman nodded at him, Sirzechs adding, "But if you can deal with us, why can't you deal with him?"

It was Sir Evelyn the one that answered when he said, "Because that boy lacks something that we all have."

"Which is?" Ajuka inquired.

"Sympathy." Mr Li answered.

Seeing that the devils were confused, Jonathan decided to explain after a sigh, "All of us here, despite our differences, are working towards the best for humanity, we may be willing to commit certain… actions… if it helps to move humanity forward, but we still care for our own…" Everyone nodded at that, Jonathan continuing, "Derek however, has no trouble destroying everything and everyone if he needs to, we may be able to defeat him eventually, but Derek is capable of bringing at least fifty percent of humanity down with him."

Mr Li huffed, adding, "That is without counting those who follow him religiously, like Aleister Thompson who is capable of causing a lot of damage on his own as well, if word gets out that he has the power of a god, many humans will surely venerate him as one, giving him an instant army."

"He already proved what he can do with Somalia… we can take you down because you will still be fighting for your species therefore, you'd be restrained by your own race. Derek however, has no such limitations." The Rothschild patriarch finished, making the devils nod as they realised why he was free to do as he wished, the price of stopping him was just too much to even consider unless it was absolutely necessary.

"With that said, just keep your people in line and Derek will not do anything against you, again, he acts on his own so if he sees that you are not keeping your word, he will not wait for me to say anything." Jonathan said.

Sirzechs nodded, saying, "I understand and don't worry, I think I can speak for every faction in this planet that no one wants a conflict between species."

"Then if that's all, by all means leave…" Sir Evelyn said, showing his displeasure for the winged creatures as he added, "There are things WE have to discuss."

Sirzechs and his peers nodded, saying, "We understand, we shall meet again another time." He then nodded at Grayfia and she promptly teleported them back to the Underworld, he wanted to get out of there before Serafall makes another unfortunate comment.

Jonathan just sighed as he sat back on his chair, reluctantly listening to the rest of what is to be discussed, his retirement sure couldn't come sooner than he would like.

* * *

Mei Terumi massaged her temples after she finished talking to her master. Despite the brave front she always had, she knew that the man was the only capable of knowing how she was truly feeling, and it pissed her off that he could clearly tell that she was feeling nervous.

But she was thankful that Lord Volk said nothing about her emotional state, probably because he was giving her freedom to express it and while she was thankful for her leader's lenience with her, she couldn't stop feeling like she was disappointing him. But even so she couldn't even blame herself for her nervousness, the time to set in motion Novum's main plan has come and she could honestly admit that she was feeling a little reluctant, mainly because she was about to hit the drums of war.

But she managed to control her emotions when her assistant walked through the door of her office, a scrawny regal looking man who stood before her desk, saying softly, "Ma'am, everyone's gathered as you ordered, they are waiting for you."

Mei nodded while she stood up, walking to stand right before a huge flat screen as she recovered her menacing gaze. Her assistance saw her in position and immediately went to turn on the monitor, twelve small squares showing the images of twelve people sitting on the other side of the line, a total of seven men and five women all nodding at their leader.

"Good evening gentlemen, ladies…" Mei greeted her subordinates, they greeting her back before she jumped straight to it, "Since we are all busy people, we should get right to the point of this meeting."

Everyone nodded, a tanned middle-aged black haired man saying with a Latin-American accent, _"=Yes, it's too risky to communicate like this for some of us, the US is relentlessly searching for me.="_ The man was known as Marcel Murillo, unofficial President of the Republic of Chile.

A beautiful purple-haired woman then added, _"=If you called for all of us, then it means it must be important.="_ The woman's name was Yaeko Minegasaki, one of Asia's most powerful businesswoman who holds the biggest real estate empire of the continent, as well as having the Yakuza under her control.

Mei nodded, saying, "That is correct, the reason for why I have called you all here, is because 'Operation Renovamen' is a go."

Everyone widened their eyes after that, signs of nervousness showing in each of Novum's members as they all felt the jitters of starting a global war. It was Moretti the one that muttered, _"=Damn, s-so it's time, huh?="_

Mei nodded, narrowing her dazzling eyes at the screen as she questioned, "Does anyone wants to back down now? This is your last chance."

Nobody spoke, gulping as they could even feel shivers running down their spines by merely looking at the woman that leads them, they all knew that stepping out of Novum now means that they will get killed.

"Very well then…" Mei then said after some moments of silence, "Originally as we all know, the intention was to push Russia into a civil war…" She eyed at Anton Mikhailov who narrowed his eyes expectantly, "But a unique opportunity has presented to us, one that will both speed up Russia's division and the global conflict we need." She finished, grabbing a folder from her desk.

 _"=What is this 'opportunity'?="_ Mikhailov questioned, not happy that he apparently had to wait more to stake his claim on Russia.

"Calm down, Mikhailov…" Mei said harshly when she felt the aggression in the Russian's voice, the aforementioned man cursing under his breath as she continued, "This is too good to pass up and as I said, it will help your cause greatly."

Everyone just nodded, with a blond-haired woman asking, _"=Well, what is it then?="_

Mei then began, "A little bird told me about an American covert operation codenamed 'Killing Mole'…" Everyone focused their attention as the gorgeous woman continued, "It appears that the US is getting tired of Kim Jong-un and have coerced South Korea to plant a sleeping agent in Kim's army, that was fifteen years ago."

Everyone raised their eyebrows at that, a brunette male inquiring, _"=An assassination plot?="_

Mei asserted the suspicion, prompting Mikhailov to add, _"=If you were informed of this, then it means that this sleeping agent made it far into North Korea's ranks.="_

"Indeed…" Mei said before she added, "This man has surprisingly made it into Kim Jong-un's personal guards…" That surprised them all, knowing how paranoid the young mad leader was, "It appears that the US has given the green light for this operation."

The oldest looking man of them all spoke, his voice full of wisdom when he deduced, _"=I think I see where you're going…="_ Everyone then focused on him as he added, _"=You want to alert Kim Jong-un of this plot.="_

"That is correct…" Mei assented and as she saw that some were not following the plan, she explained, "Alerting Kim Jong-un of this plan will undoubtedly push him to declare war on South Korea, the southerners will have no other option than to fight back and the second Korean War will begin…" She breathed in before she continued, "This war will of course be contained as much as possible, but there is no denying that in the very end, it will turn into a proxy war, the West supporting South Korea from the shadows, while Russia and China will support North Korea the same way."

Mikhailov widened his eyes, now seeing it all clear, _"=With the second Korean War in motion, the Russians who support the West will protest against us Pro-Russians for supporting the northerners…="_ Mei nodded with a sexy smirk, the man smirking back as he added, _"=I sometimes forget why you're the leader, this is absolutely magnificent, there is no way that Russia will remain unified after this.="_

Mei nodded, saying, "I'm glad you're starting to see things like I do…" She then focused on Yaeko, ordering, "Minegasaki, I will send you the folder with the operation's info, use your Yakuza to make sure that it gets to Kim Jong-un."

The purple-haired woman nodded, saying, _"=It will be done.="_

Mei then straighten up and said, "That is all for now, be prepared…" She narrowed her eyes to everyone, adding ominously, "The War Theatre is about to start its play."

She could see how her subordinates gulped, feeling nervous, just like her, but they all knew that this day would come and it served to further everyone's purpose. Though only Mei knew the truth of Novum and what the World War is meant to bring, which was her master's will of course, _'I will not fail you, milord…'_ She thought devotedly, the man was helping her achieve her happiness, the very least she could do was return the favour, he saved her after all.

* * *

A beautiful pale woman sat on her throne as she observed a recording from the Rating Game between Rias Gremory and Raiser Phenex. The woman had long vibrant blond hair that matched her hypnotizing yellow eyes, her ears were slightly pointy while two sharp fangs could be seen in her mouth. Her hair was tied in a lone ponytail with a black ribbon, her luscious body covered by a red and black Victorian-styled dress.

She was looking intently at the silver-haired boy known as Derek Hamilton, a small wave of melancholy hitting her heart as he reminded her of her dearest friend who passed away over twenty years ago, "Could he be?…" She mumbled, a small part of her wishing that her theory was correct.

"Who is he, milady?" A young woman then inquired as she leaned on a little to observe the crystal ball on the older woman's hand, finding it weird that the Queen of Vampires, Natalia Dracul, would be interested in a devil, albeit a very handsome devil.

Natalia looked at her handmaiden before she looked back at the orb to reply, "His name is Derek Hamilton, the new Red Dragon Emperor."

The young vampire widened her eyes at that, asking, "M-Milady… does that means that you…"

Natalia cut her off, saying, "Mmm… I wasn't thinking that before but now that you mention it, Elmenhilde…" She then smiled slightly, adding, "I think I have in fact found him."

The now identified Elmenhilde seemed scandalised, stating, "P-Pardon my rudeness, Lady Dracul, but h-he's just a filthy human."

Natalia stood up as she made her crystal ball disappear, laughing before she started walking down her throne altar, Elmenhilde dutifully following her, "A 'filthy' human capable of destroying our whole species…" She could imagine the surprise her young companion had, so she explained, "I have been making some research on him and my, is he accomplished."

Elmenhilde did felt incredibly shocked by her Queen's words, Natalia was by far the hardest to impress person she has ever met, no one has ever made her speak those words, meaning that the Hamilton boy was indeed an impressive being.

"Elmenhilde." Natalia suddenly said, bringing her handmaiden's mind back to earth.

The young vampire shook her head, saying after, "Y-Yes milady?"

"I want you to accelerate all of my meetings, make sure that I get some free time as soon as possible." The daughter of the legendary Vlad Dracul ordered as she continued making her way towards her chambers.

Elmenhilde once again opened her eyes wide, inquiring surprised, "L-Lady Dracul… don't tell me you're thinking of going to meet him?" She couldn't believe that her Queen would waste time on such a lowborn, as powerful as he might be, he was still a lowly human.

Natalia stopped, turning to look at her companion with an expressionless face before it changed to an amused one, saying, "Oh, I am." She laughed at Elmenhilde's incredulous face, amused at the up-tightness her race was so known for.

Natalia knew that it may bring a lot of uproar to the Vampire Elders, but she didn't cared about them in the slightest, the Vampire community was already being split up between the Carmilla Faction and the Tepes Faction, with the Carmilla being the one supporting her. The truth of the matter was that she just wanted to find out if the silverette was related to her late friend or not, whatever more comes from her visit, will be a plus.

* * *

"S-Sir…" Vanessa Jones said as she looked at her boss who was inside the lift with her, waiting as it arrives to her office, "Don't y-you think someone may t-try… something on my M-Master?" She has been really worried ever since she saw what her mentor did back in the devil world. She knew he had to send a message but damn, she never thought he'd actually castrate a pure-blooded devil to do it, she really wondered why there were times she forgot about his brutality.

Jonathan just snorted, amused to see one of the UK's most powerful people so worried about his grandson, though it was no surprise for him since everybody knew that the woman loved Derek almost religiously, such strong attachments do tend to happen between master and apprentice. Surprisingly even Derek developed a similar attachment with Lewis Butland, S.A.S. leader and his mentor, Lewis is practically the only person in the world that can order Derek around since the young Hamilton respected him above anyone else.

But returning to the brunette's question, he replied, "It's unlikely, now that the truth of him has been revealed, it won't take them much to realise that he was the leader of Ghosts and as you and I both know…" He looked at the woman, a small smirk on his face as he added, "Ghosts was feared by most, if not all of the supernatural world…" He looked back at the front when he continued, "Plus, they know he's my grandson, no one is really stupid to start an interspecies war just for the genitalia of a Phenex brat."

Vanessa just sighed, nodding slightly at her boss but her worry was still clear, she couldn't help it though. But before she and Jonathan said anything else, they both narrowed their eyes when thanks to years of experience, they managed to sense someone waiting for them inside Vanessa's office.

As soon as the doors of the lift opened, Vanessa immediately draw her weapon, aiming it straight at the intruder that once she recognised, the MI6 head gritted her teeth in anger and in a second appeared right behind the intruder, placing her gun straight at the woman's head.

"Akio." Vanessa spat the name hatefully.

"Whoa… Vanessa… I see that you took the Boss' training quite well…" The woman said to Vanessa while looking at her from the corner of her eye, not even looking nervous for having a gun on her lobe. The woman's porcelain face seemed to have Asian descent, her long black hair was being tied in a long lone ponytail that reached above her knees, her eyes were a piercing brown that held a mischievous glint in them, a playful smirk on her face all the time. She was wearing a white long-sleeved buttoned shirt that was slightly open to show a little bit of her cleavage and her stomach, a long dark skirt with double slits revealing the both sides of her legs and dark slip-on shoes.

Vanessa just pressed her gun on the woman's head even harsher, listening as Jonathan said calmly, "Akio Fudo…" The woman turned to look at him when he added, "Weren't you dead?" Jonathan stood right before her, his hands both kept in his pockets as he eyed the woman critically.

Akio just smiled slyly, replying, "Well, I am here, aren't I?"

"Playing around is not going to get you anywhere, you damn traitor." Vanessa seethed, using all of her own personal restraint to keep herself from blowing this woman's brains out.

"Vanessa…" Jonathan said, winning the woman's attention as he commanded, "Release her."

Even Akio seemed surprised by that, prompting Vanessa to say, "S-Sir, what!?…" She gritted her teeth when she added, "This fucking bitch kidnapped Alice along with the other traitorous Ghosts! They betrayed Derek!"

Jonathan kept the smirk he felt when he saw Akio wincing at the accusation, telling him that something happened back in Somalia between her and Derek, "That is indeed true but tell me, Vanessa…" He looked at the brunette to ask, "When has Derek missed anything during a mission?"

Vanessa tilted her head, saying confused, "W-Well… never… but… w-what's that got to do with this?"

Jonathan sighed, walking towards a table with a bottle of whisky and once he served himself a glass, he sipped it and replied after, "That Derek obviously knows that Akio is alive, meaning that he let her live."

Vanessa widened her eyes at that, turning her eyes to the former GhostFour as she eyed at the ground a little, an almost palpable aura of melancholy surrounding the black-haired femme fatale. It took some moments for the Commander to relent, but after some seconds, Vanessa just sighed and stepped away from Akio, muttering, "You got lucky, traitor." She walked towards the window of her office and kept her gaze away from the woman that betrayed her master, knowing that she will not be able of restraining herself if she kept eye contact.

Akio kept her sarcastic remarks to herself for the moment, knowing that she was making a huge gamble right now and only if she behaved, was she going to have a chance of success.

"What are you doing here, Lieutenant Fudo?" Jonathan questioned as he stood before her again, his powerful gaze reminding Akio of Derek's own, almost sending her into the submissive woman she usually became under her old leader's gaze.

Akio breathed in, steeling herself as she kept her eyes on the floor, not capable of looking at the most powerful man in the world as she whispered an answer, "I… I-I want… to s-see… him…"

Jonathan raised an eyebrow while Vanessa fumed, screaming angrily, "See him!? For what!? To finish the job!?" Vanessa was about to jump at the blackette but stopped once Jonathan raised a hand to her, the Commander inhaling deeply and promptly looking back at her window.

Jonathan looked at Akio for some moments, the woman squirming under his powerful gaze while he studied every mannerism of hers, trying to detect any sign of deceit that he could. Jonathan was visibly surprised when he realised that the woman did not had any ill motives, "Why do you want to see Derek again?" He questioned, sipping some of his whiskey.

Akio bit her lip, inhaling before she replied, "B-Because… I… I w-want to know… w-why…"

It took Jonathan some moments to understand her, but once he did, he deduced, "Why he didn't killed you?"

Akio nodded, finally looking at him to say, "Y-You said it yourself, Jonathan… D-Derek… he never misses a thing…" She winced when she continued, remembering the day as if it was yesterday, "He c-completely brutalised Luis and Niko, not even a single t-trace of them was left but me…" She gulped, looking back at the ground as she whispered, "H-He just left me almost on a coma but… a-alive… I… I d-don't understand why…"

" _Huff_ … That makes two of us…" Vanessa added, her eyes closed while she thought what reason her mentor might've had that day to left the woman alive. Sure she knew that Akio was a frequent lover of his, but Derek would never stop because of that. If even Alice betrays him the way Akio did, Vanessa was sure that Derek will not even blink when he puts a bullet in Alice's head. It made no sense.

Jonathan sighed, drinking the rest of his whisky before he said, "Well, Derek has always acted mysteriously…" He walked towards the small table with the bottle of liquor, placing the glass on it as he added, "You'll only find out why he did, if you ask him yourself."

Vanessa looked at her boss, a scandalised look on her face while she muttered, "S-Sir… you're seriously not allowing her to m-meet him, right?"

Akio looked surprised at Jonathan as well, not really expecting much from this visit, she actually expected to be thrown in jail the moment she stepped into this office, hence why she asked hopefully, "Y-You'll let me?"

Jonathan just shrugged, taking a seat on a couch before he said, "There is a reason why Derek let you live, I am not going to thwart any plan he may have for you…" Akio winced slightly at that, "But you may be killed the moment he sees you, you know?" He added a question, wanting to see her reaction.

To his surprise, Akio seemed almost happy about it, saying with a downed gaze, "If he wants that, I w-will even supply the blade."

Vanessa focused on the woman, finding it surprising to see that she seemed quite lost and even remorseful. She has always been the second most cheerful Ghost, just after Aleister, but Akio always had trouble keeping her emotions to herself, making her the rash and hot-headed of the team.

Jonathan looked at his former subordinate for some moments before he sighed, saying, "He's in Luxembourg, he goes to Luxembourg Academy, you'll surely find him there."

Akio looked up at him immediately, a small and grateful smile on her face before she bowed, saying, "T-Thank you, sir."

Jonathan just nodded, adding, "Don't mention it, you did went through a lot because of me…" He stood up, fixing his suit while he ordered, "Now leave, you are still a traitor and if I still see you around here after five minutes, I will kill you myself."

Akio gulped and immediately nodded, running towards a window before she leaped through it, disappearing in the night moments after.

Vanessa focused on her leader, asking, "S-Sir… what if…"

Jonathan just chuckled, cutting her off to say, "Your beloved will be fine, Vanessa…" The woman blushed harshly while he continued, "Plus, I too want to know why Derek let her live." He narrowed his eyes at the window which Akio used to disappear.

Vanessa just shook her head and did the same that her leader, wondering the exact same thing. Whatever it was, Vanessa was sure must have been important otherwise she was not capable of understanding why would her mentor not kill one of the three that almost caused him irrecoverable pain.

* * *

Derek sighed as he rested on his bed. He had arrived to Luxembourg that morning along with his new subordinates, having to spend almost all of the day convincing his neighbours to move out and sell him their houses, then helping the females settling to their new life, though it was mainly Seekvaria and Rias the ones that acted as their guides, Derek only supplied the money for all of their basic needs.

Only Burent and Marion moved in with him, seeing as they wanted to act as his maids. He didn't liked it, but they countered him saying that he had told them that he would let them do as they wish as long as they followed the law.

He never thought he'd see the day his words were being used against him.

But there was really no problem, the only reason for why he didn't used one of his family's castles to live there with all of his people, was because he was famous in a global scale, something like that will raise a lot of questions, unwanted questions. Both Marion and Burent didn't really seemed too out of place, the fact that Aleister also lived here with him helped to create the façade of just a royal playboy living with his best-friend and two sexy maids, nothing too unusual.

The fact that he had a large amount of hot neighbours could be thrown to pure luck.

Now, there was one thing that Derek hated to admit even to himself, and that was that he did not liked to sleep alone. That was one of the reasons for why he behaved so promiscuously back in his youth, he found that lying next to a female body greatly decreased the frequency of his nightmares, mostly the ones regarding his parents and Somalia, an event that despite what many believed, did frightened Derek because he knew he committed genocide back then, the screams of almost six-million people still haunted him to this day.

While he usually had a companion for the night, today was one of those rare occasions were all of his women were busy. Tiamat had to do who the fuck knows what, Tsubasa had a lot of catching up to do with her SC job and Seekvaria could no longer skip classes in her Academy in Japan, so she was already back to Kuoh, leaving Derek alone for the night.

Sure, he could order Burent or Marion, or both, to sleep with him, but he didn't wanted them to have wrong ideas, there were already too many women showing deep interest in him and he did not wanted to add more. He would have no problem if it was just for sex, if any of Raiser's ex-peerage wanted to have some release, he will provide it without complaints, he just didn't wanted more women falling for him, it was too troublesome for the silverette right now.

But despite all he tried to do, he knew very well that at the very least, Rias was already in love with him. A thought strengthened when a red glow filled his room, making him sigh as he knew that this event would come.

"H-Hello Derek." Rias spoke shyly, wearing the exact same nightgown she had the night she barged in his room to try and coerce him into sex. This time she didn't hopped in on the bed though, she was standing before the bed's feet, looking down at the ground while she tightly gripped her gown, biting her lip while a mad blush adorned her cheeks.

Derek just inhaled before he used his elbows to lift his upper body, now capable of facing the gorgeous woman to say, both of them already knowing where she wanted to go, "You don't owe me anything, Rias."

Rias looked timidly back at him, a small smile as she saw that he was not resisting, so she got on the bed and once again crawled over him, bringing her face to the crook his neck while he let his body fall on the bed, "I-I'm not doing this b-because I feel like I owe you anything…" She closed her eyes, relishing the beats of his heart while she continued, "I do this b-because… I only want y-you to do it."

Derek closed his eyes, annoyance clear in his voice when he added, "Rias, a relationship with me is not…"

He was cut off by her however, when she lifted her head and said, "I k-know and the truth is that… I am n-not so sure about being with you in a relationship…" She could see the man's surprise and much to her pain, a small sense of relief, "D-Don't get me wrong… I… I t-think I… love you…" He showed no reaction to that, prompting her to continue, "But I still t-think I'm not… ready to deal with such a relationship with you." Make no mistake, she will do everything in her power to have him agree to it, all she was doing right now was exactly what Seekvaria told her to do, to be smooth and gentle with her approach. Derek gets very easily scared off with this sort of things so according to the Agares, the only way to have him accepting such relationship was to allow him to accept his feelings for you first, something that will take time. But Rias was a patient woman, she was sure that soon, she will be able to call him her partner.

She also knew that Derek knew that as well, he must be already familiarised with Seekvaria's technique. But it was a relief to her when he just sighed and brought his hand to her butt, squeezing it as he whispered in her ear, "Then what do you want from me?"

Rias moaned as she pushed her body closer to his, whispering back, "Y-Your body."

 **LEMON**

Derek smirked when he whispered again, "As you wish."

Rias suddenly yelped when she was flipped below him, her gown suddenly gone as Derek started to kiss her deeply, the Gremory immediately submitting herself to him since she couldn't even form a coherent thought. This kiss was something she had been waiting for a long time and she was glad to report that it definitely lived up to the hype.

"D-Derek…" She whispered when he started bringing his face down on her body, leaving small kisses on her chin, neck, collarbone and upper breast before he settled on her nipple, sucking it while he used his left hand to squeeze her other breast, " _Aaa…_ " She moaned delightedly, not even her own self-explorations were as strong as this.

Derek then brought his free hand to her vagina, tracing her outer folds delicately before he inserted one finger, pumping it in and out according to her moans, adding another one when the red-head started humping her hips on his hand.

"Derek!" She screamed after he pinched her clitoris, the sensations becoming too much for her so her body was sent into an orgasm, finding it surprising that she had the strongest one of her life by merely his fingers.

She looked up when she felt Derek moving, nothing now covering his incredibly toned body, the scars serving both to turn her even more but to still send painful pangs to her heart knowing that he must have gone through a lot.

She then focused on the very thing she has desired the most, licking her lips when she saw his impressive member standing as proud and imposing as its owner, already knocking the entrance of her sex.

"Are you ready?" Derek questioned, surprising Rias when she saw how his eyes became warmer at the moment.

Rias just gulped while she gathered her courage, nodding slightly when she whispered, "T-Take me."

Derek nodded and started penetrating the woman's canal, Rias releasing a hollow scream that turned into a loud one when he pierced her barrier, feeling how her blood was starting to coat his penis that was now fully sheathed within her.

Derek gave her some moments to get accustomed to the feeling, a small tear of happiness running down her cheek as she whispered while holding him in her arms, her legs locked on his back, "F-Fuck me, Derek."

That was it for the Red Dragon Emperor, the way she spoke sending his barely contained draconic lust to new heights as he started moving, initiating with a slow and calm pace that sped up according to her breaths and moans.

"AAA!" Rias became very vocal with her moans, never in her life had she felt so alive as right now. Having Derek pounding her core over and over again while occasionally biting her nipples was the best thing that has ever happened to her.

Derek then took his penis out of her, Rias about to whine before he turned her on her stomach, her body pressed in between his body and the mattress while he bottomed up again, Rias smashing her face on the pillow as her muffled screams rang out through his room, making him glad to have put on silencing walls all over the house.

The two remained like that for some more moments before they switched into another position, she kneeling in all fours while he pounded her from behind, the woman's juices spreading all over the sheets.

Rias started to feel her end when she was bouncing up and down on him, feeling his penis thickening inside of her, telling her that he was close too, "D-Derek…" She moaned, saying after with some trouble, "I… I-I'm close…"

Derek grabbed her legs, keeping her in place as he said, "Me t-too." He increased his pace then.

Rias panicked a little, stating, "W-Wait… w-what if I get preg…"

Derek cut her off however, saying, "You're not strong enough…" Before she could even question what he meant, he brought her down to a ferocious kiss that sent her mind to overdrive, her orgasm hitting her like a ton of bricks before she felt the greatest sensation of her life when his seed started filling her womb, "F-Fuck." He muttered, his orgasm washing over him.

 **END LIME**

Derek then snickered when he heard Rias' snores, surely the pleasure was too much for her so she fell asleep, a happy smile on her face while she snuggled deeper into his chest, her arms resting on his shoulders while her vagina refused to let him go.

Derek then just grabbed the sheet and brought it over them, a small sense of happiness at knowing that he was not going to sleep alone as he thought filling his body. But it also annoyed him because much to his chagrin, he could picture the small flame lighting up in his heart with Rias' name.

* * *

 **A/N: Well there you go, for those wondering who Natalia Dracul is, she's Shinobu Oshino, I was looking for a vampire chick and she was the best one I could find, though I had to change her name for this story's setting, but everything else remains the same. Hope you liked it and see ya later, cheers!**


	8. Sweet Child O' Mine

**A/N: Yo waddup! Finally a new chapter, so sorry about such long waits, but I'm extremely busy this days. Some things before we begin.**

 **There are a lot of introduction in this chapter, I tried to keep it a smooth as I can since I know how tedious chapters like this can get. The thing is though, that differently from TBE, this world is way more different than the original, and since I too decided to swap the OCs for characters from other franchises, I have to start to introduce the ones that will have a substantial role moving on, such as Seekvaria's peerage that are all introduced in this chapter. But well, I already warned you lads that this story contains a lot of political thriller, not everything is going to be fists and shit flying around. Plus since this story is updated less frequently, I have to move it along as smooth and quickly as I can, hence why such long chapters.**

 **Now, there is another thing you will notice and that is that Derek has a lot of women pilling up for his affections, from leaders to mere commoners, I know it may look ridiculous to see such thing, but I want you to keep in mind that most of the women, already have history with Derek, you will learn how everything came to be the way it is in time, so bear with me. There is also another reason, but it's a pivotal part of the story that you'll have to wait for it to be revealed.**

 **Next, a question I have for you lads, I kind of know where this story is heading and as I said on the first chapter, this story is way more mature than TBE. What I want to know though, is if you'd like this story to be like GOT or TWD, as in having major, and I mean major character deaths, Derek and his mates included, or if you want it to be less angsty. Though bare in mind that there WILL be some big deaths here, I just want to know if you guys will like more of those deaths or not, either way, the stakes are pretty high here.**

 **I hope you like what I did with the characters I've introduced here, I promise you'll get to see more of them as the story progresses.**

 **Without further ado, enjoy!**

"Derek" - Normal Speech.

 _'Derek'_ \- Thought.

 _"Derek"_ \- Derek mentally speaking.

 **"Ddraig"** \- Ddraig/Albion speaking through the Sacred Gears/Divinities talking.

 _ **"Ddraig"**_ \- Ddraig speaking inside Derek's mind.

* * *

 **Sweet Child O' Mine**

Rias yawned as the rays of the sun hit her face, her fists rubbing the sleep off her eyes while she rolled her body until she could blurrily see the ceiling, feeling a little confused by not seeing her usual ceiling. That is until memories of last night assaulted her, a mad blush forming on her face when she 'eeped' and turned around quickly, burying her face on the pillow while she almost subconsciously caressed her belly, right above where her womb was, a giddy smile on her face as she thought of the man that had not only saved her and gave her freedom, but has also taken her virginity and showed her pleasure she was damn sure that only he could supply. She always knew that besides his loyalty and attitude, there was another reason for why at least four women seem willing to share him.

She was starting to see why they all thought it worth it.

She had woke up in the middle of the night, feeling embarrassed when she realised that the pleasure proved too much for her virgin body that she actually passed out. Her embarrassment only growing when she could still feel Derek's penis inside of her, semi-hard, sending volts of pleasure through her body with the slightest of movements.

She looked up towards him, her body pressed on top of his, a hand holding her waist almost possessively, noting that it was the greatest sensation, even better than sex. To feel the man she loved being even a little possessive of her made her lust kick in once again.

She started to grind her hips, slowly, sneakily, not wanting to wake him up, knowing that he might be tired. But she still wanted more so she started grinding harder, her forehead now pressed on his muscular chest while she panted, stifling her moans barely, gasping when she felt the stick within her growing as if responding.

She then screamed like a child when Derek suddenly grabbed her butt, thrusting up, forcing a loud moan as she realised that he was awake and now was fucking her into oblivion.

"Uuuuu…" Rias whined as she buried her head deeper into the pillow, her face completely red while she continued remembering how they spent almost all night going at it like rabbits. She was definitely surprised to find him awake, she was devil and she didn't really needed much sleep, she had thought that the man did needed it but she soon remembered when Tsubasa once told her that Derek doesn't really sleep, he just rests. Though the blue-haired brawler had no idea if it was because he was always waiting for an attack or nightmares, which Seekvaria had told them that he indeed had.

Rias couldn't blame the man she loved for having nightmares, committing genocide was something that even thinking about it made her stomach twist. She has killed, at least ten times before, but even if they were strays, she still felt bitter after she'd done the deed, she couldn't imagine how Derek must have felt after killing over five million people, he surely must have felt something.

She turned back to watch the ceiling, both of her hands massaging her belly, the woman inhaling to get rid of her wishes of motherhood, not really knowing why she all of a sudden felt the desire of finding out that Derek had knocked her up. She did shivered though, knowing that if she was pregnant, there were at least four women that will be very angry for being the first one of the lot to sire him a child.

But all of her wistful thinking crumbled when she remembered what he told her before he ejaculated inside of her, "Not strong enough?…" She sighed, leaving the bed, looking for something to cover her naked body and go in search of her new lover, "What does he means with that?"

She cursed when she saw her nightgown, now turned into mere pieces of cloth, she didn't even remembered him shredding it, though it was probably because she was too busy revelling on the pleasure of having him inside her.

She settled for opening up Derek's closet and grabbed a shirt and a pair of boxers, smelling the shirt for a couple of seconds, her eyes closed as she shivered in bliss by his mere scent, "Damn, I am so stupidly in love with him…" She muttered, slightly annoyed at herself for falling for a man that seemed to have his heart inside the freezer. Though she did knew that the warm gaze he aimed at her during their tryst, meant something.

She stopped after she walked down the stairs of Derek's house, as Marion stood before her, clearly surprised to see her, "H-Hello, Marion." Rias said lamely, shrinking herself as if trying to hide her recently sexually active body.

Marion couldn't help but stare at the Gremory, a small sense of jealousy as she eyed the woman's figure, it was without a doubt one of the greatest bodies she has ever seen. While she knew that living with her new master was not going to be easy, she hadn't thought that she would need to get used to this encounters, now though, it seems that she might've been wrong, "G-Good morning, L-Lady Gremory." She stuttered, a small respectful bow as she tried to keep her eyes on the Gremory's.

"Marion, did you found the…" Another voice suddenly appeared, Rias turning to her side to see the other woman from Raiser's former peerage appearing, both her and Marion now wearing a classier set of maid outfits since Derek hated the ones they used to wear, it did surprised Rias that despite being a man, he wasn't one to enjoy scantily clad women, "O-Oh…" Burent stuttered when she saw the Gremory, equally surprised to see the red-headed woman, fighting her jealousy down when she realised her attire, telling her all she needed to know as to what the heiress was doing here, "G-Good morning, Lady Gremory." She bowed slightly with a small smile, not really having anything against the woman, she knew that her master was almost impossible to resist and she has known him for only three days now.

"Good e-evening, Burent." Rias said with a small smile, a little bit more relaxed now, though she still had her hands bringing the shirt down to cover her crotch, not realising that she was just showing more of her breasts.

Burent looked elsewhere, not wanting to be reminded of the heiress' well-endowed body. So shaking her head, the brunette focused on her fellow maid, smiling when she saw the blonde's hands holding a package, "Ah! Great, you found it!"

Rias looked at Marion's hands, now noticing the package, tilting her head as she inquired, "What is that?"

Marion shook her head, walking towards the kitchen, Burent and Rias following behind her as she replied, "Master's food!…" She frantically took out a plate and opened the package, grabbing the large piece of raw meat and placing it on the plate, "I almost forgot about it!" The French woman added while she grabbed a lemon and halved it, squishing it on top of the meat before she grabbed a little bit of salt and bathed the meat with it.

Burent appeared beside her, a small bowl with red liquid in it on her hands as she said, "Don't forget the sauce." She grabbed a spoon and added a lot of the liquid to the meat.

Rias curiously observed, dipping her pinkie on the liquid and tasting it, coughing loudly when her tongue felt like it was on fire, saying after she drank a huge glass of water, "S-Satan… t-that's so spicy!"

Both maids chuckled, nodding at the heiress as Marion commented, "Yes, it's made of habanero…" She remembered how she made the very same mistake as the heiress the day before, she and Burent needed a lot of milk to get rid of the spiciness, "Apparently, Master is very fond of Mexican food, its sauces specifically."

Rias dumbly nodded, wiping the tears that fell from her eyes after the sudden spicy attack. She raised an eyebrow however, when Burent seemed ready to take the plate to the silver-haired male, asking, "Aren't you going to cook that?"

Burent looked at the redhead, shaking her head before she said, "No, Mr Aleister told us that since Master is a dragon, he prefers raw meat." She nodded at Rias' disgust, not really liking the idea, but it wasn't her eating it so it didn't mattered, he was her master after all.

Marion then added, soaking her hands with water, "Mr Aleister says that Master only eats cooked meat to be polite, he knows that it may cause disgust to many, so he eats it as they serve it…" She smiled, never in her life had she thought that she would feel happy to have an 'owner', "Master is so polite."

Rias nodded and watched as Burent seemed to be ready to go, but the Gremory suddenly remembered her mission, so she stopped Burent, the maid looking at her quizzically as the heiress said, "S-Sorry Burent, but could I take that to him?"

Burent didn't seemed too fond of the idea. Out of the fourteen women that used to belong to Raiser, she along with four more remained directly under the Hamilton, the other nine were split between Rias and Seekvaria to fill their peerages. They were not very fond of the idea since they had apparently felt abandoned by him, but after they realised that Seekvaria and Rias were his mates, Rias close to at least, they knew that one way or another they would still be under the Hamilton, since Seekvaria, and even Rias, admitted that they would follow Derek to wherever he leads them, they agreed after that. So it was obvious that Burent wanted to receive Derek's attention as much as Rias.

The Gremory will certainly have to get used to that.

"A-Alright." Burent said with a small forced smile, clearly reluctant but doing as told, Rias was a high-class devil after all, Burent was a mere low-class devil.

Rias grabbed the plate and smiled apologetically at the woman, stating, "I-I'm sorry, I just have some things to discuss with him, this won't be a h-habit, I promise."

Both Burent and Marion smiled a little at that, surprised to see that the heiress seemed to understand their plight. Though they were also very surprised at how well they were being treated, not just by their master, but by the people that surrounded him as well, they were never talked to like if they were mere possessions, which was refreshing.

Rias made her way towards the living room, smiling a little at Aleister who was sitting on the studio, doing some homework she guessed, probably even Derek's.

" _=As for President Moon Jae-in's response regarding Kim Jong-un's threat, the President only stated that he has nothing to hide and that whatever Kim Jong-un had on him, was pure bluff.="_ She heard the telly, a woman seemingly giving some news, " _=Though there is sincere alarm in South Korea, so it's impossible to know what will happen until Kim Jong-un himself reveals it on the day he set, the fourteenth of April this year.=_ "

She finally saw her lover sitting on the couch, a small frown on his face that let the Gremory know that whatever he was seeing on the telly, was not pleasing him, "H-Here." She whispered, meekly giving him the plate before she sat down next to him, her body turned towards him while she coyly looked at the boy.

"Thanks." Derek said as he grabbed the plate, smirking before he grabbed the whole meat and devoured it fully, sighing contently while he set the plate down on the table in front of him.

Rias was shocked to see the man eating the meat in a second, though she remembered that he was a dragon, so it was only normal for him to act like this in his home. She shook her head, her gaze down on the couch while her fingers traced circles on it, shyly saying, "U-Umm… D-Derek?…" She heard the man grunting, acknowledging her, so she continued, "D-Did…" She struggled a little but managed to sputter, "D-Did you en-enjoyed me?"

Derek raised an eyebrow as he looked at the woman beside him, it was really amusing for him to see the usually haughty heiress acting like a girl in love, which was exactly what she was. He knew well that Rias lied to him last night, she was not reluctant with having a relationship with him, she wanted to, but she was using the very same tactic that Seekvaria used on him. Kuroka and Tsubasa too followed the Agares' advice and while it annoyed him, he wasn't mad at Rias, he liked it in fact, she was willing to give him time to settle his feelings for her, it was just the way he worked.

Tiamat being the exception of course, the female dragon practically forced herself into his heart and he liked that, she knew what she wanted and didn't stopped until she had it. He didn't even knew when he actually started loving Tiamat back.

Derek just smirked as he looked back at the TV, saying with a lustful tone, "Thoroughly."

Rias yelped at the immense effect those words seemed to have on her body, her sex heating up all of a sudden, no doubt a mad blush on her face while she struggled to find her tongue.

 _'_ _D-Damn him… h-he's so good…'_ Rias thought, already giving up on upping him in the seduction department. If Akeno, who was the biggest seductress she knew, could not even get a reaction from the Hamilton when she tried, Rias knew that she would fair even worst, "I-I…" She stuttered, scooting closer towards him, grabbing his arm and placing it right between her breasts, his hand dangerously close to her sexual organ, "I e-enjoyed it t-too." She whispered, her head buried on his shoulder, not capable of looking at him at the moment.

Derek just snorted, commenting amusedly, "I could tell."

Rias just closed her eyes, burying her face deeper into his flesh.

The two stayed like that for some moments, Derek listening to the news while Rias found her strength again, surprised to see that the silverette was not pushing her away, though he wasn't brining her closer either.

"D-Derek…" She mumbled, leaning back a little to be able to look at him in the eyes, now more collected. The man looked at her, prompting Rias to inquire, "L-Last night, w-when… w-when you… f-finished… inside me…" She blushed, her womb tingling at the mere recollection, but she managed to gather strength to continue, "Y-You told me t-that I w-wasn't strong enough to get pregnant, w-what did you mean by that?"

Derek sighed, looking back at the telly as he replied, "That you literally are not strong enough to carry my brat…" He could feel her confusion, so he elaborated further, "Dragons can mate with any species, but the partner needs to have a body capable of withstanding our energy…" He looked back at her before he added, "Dragons are beings of pure energy, so you have to be strong enough to stand such accumulation of raw power…" He sighed, continuing, "Out of all of my mates, only Tiamat is capable of having my child."

Rias didn't know what happened, but her mouth seemingly inquired on its own, "H-How strong do I have to be?" She looked at the side after she registered her words, embarrassed beyond belief at how desperate she sounded.

To her surprise and happiness though, Derek didn't seemed annoyed, the silver-haired boy just snorted and with an amused smirk replied, "You're still some years short of training for that, Rias…" He looked at the embarrassed heiress, adding, "But let's not get ahead of ourselves, I am not interested in kids at the moment and we still have to see where this takes us…" He ignored the surprised look on Rias' face, probably shocked to hear him apparently acknowledging her feelings, "If it works, we'll see about your desire for motherhood later down the line."

Rias was without a doubt shocked, she had thought that it was probably going to take her years for him to accept her. But if she understood him well, it appears that she was not far from being capable of formally staking her claim on him, she couldn't believe how happy that made her feel right now.

She just buried herself on his body again, smiling shyly when his right arm found its place on top of her butt, holding her close. As she enjoyed being in his arms, well, arm, she realised that Derek probably knew that she lied to him last night regarding not wanting to be with him at the moment, but if he was willing to apparently give her a child if she so desired, then she knew that she definitely had a chance with him.

Oh yes, she could definitely tell why so many women were willing to share this man.

* * *

Seekvaria thanked the boy as he led her and her peerage towards the Yōkai Leader's house, her peerage revelling on the sight of the ancient city known as Kyoto.

She felt a little nervous at the moment, not because the yōkai were being antagonistic towards them, in fact, all the yōkai they passed by, seemed more curious than anything else. No, the thing that was making her nervous was that she was here on official business, though it may be a surprise that this was Hamilton related, or Human as a whole. She was long gone past the weirdness of knowing that she would always follow her beloved and do as order, even if it went against her own kind, he has won such loyalty from her. The only way she would ever go against him, is if he became a threat to all, something that she knew was in fact a possibility.

 _'_ _Women seem to be the only thing keeping him at check… the more the better I guess…'_ It may shock many to know that Seekvaria's reason for allowing her soon-to-be husband to have more lovers was because she found out that Derek seemed to warm up whenever someone he liked was with him. It did broke her heart when it appeared that she wasn't enough to keep his demons at bay, but he still loved her beyond what words could entail, so she felt it worth it to share him. It has worked wonders because the Hamilton has without a doubt mellowed a little from the man he used to be before they began their relationship.

Though she had to tread carefully, Derek did not enjoyed being smothered by women, it was already starting to annoy him to see that so many women were being thrown his way, though that was partially his fault, being the Red Dragon Emperor was a huge thing, there were many powerful women out there looking for someone like him and she knew that Yasaka, the yōkai leader and the mighty Nine Tailed Fox, was one of them.

She didn't exactly knew if that was the reason for why the legendary being called for an audition with Derek, but it had to be related to. Yasaka had called for him right after the Rating Game, meaning that the world was now aware of the Red Dragon Emperor's emergence.

The thing was though, that Jonathan had ordered Derek to remain in Luxembourg, she didn't knew why but she didn't voiced her question, knowing that neither her godfather nor fiancé would sate her curiosity, they worked secretly like that. So the Hamilton patriarch had asked Seekvaria to be in Derek's stead, telling her that as his soon-to-be-wife, she was going to have to get used to this sort of thing, any woman who desired to be Derek's mate will have to be his proxy once here and there.

"Ile, look!" The excited voice of one of her newest members brought the Agares' attention to her back, to see the youngest of her group, the twins Ile and Nel, looking at the hidden city of the yōkai in awe.

Her eyes wandered to her now full peerage, immensely grateful to her beloved for letting her take some of the women that used to belonged to Raiser with her. Her peerage was now full and she could finally start working with them as a full team.

Her {Queen} Alivian didn't really needed much training, he was a dragon and was mentored by his parents in the arts of the dragon fighting style while Derek himself gave him some one on one training regarding human fighting, he was the strongest of the group, even stronger than her.

She used to have only one {Rook}, a young boy named Iker Hamilton, the youngest grandchild of Jonathan Hamilton. The boy had been born with an intense affinity for magic, so intense that his body couldn't stand it and he died at the age of five. His parents begged her father Solomon to bring him back but all they could do was reincarnate him, at the cost of letting the world believe that Iker was dead, they accepted and he was made her {Rook}, he usually goes to visit his family and just like almost everybody else, he worshiped Derek, though he also feared his eldest cousin. But now with the adding of Isabela, she had the pair of rooks she needed and she was thankful that they didn't needed much work either.

Her eyes focused on her two bishops, one of whom she already had before she met Rias. The first one she reincarnated, was a woman named Wiz, a beautiful brown-haired female with a body that rivalled that of Seekvaria, a very compassionate and caring woman who used to be a mage before she sacrificed her life to Seekvaria to protect her village from a raid, Seekvaria had agreed and she along with Derek killed the mafia that tried to take control of her small German village, the woman was another one piling for Derek's attention, though she was extremely shy. Next to her, was her other {Bishop}, Mihae, one of Raiser's ex-members, Seekvaria knew that she was reluctant to come with her to Japan, something that all of Raiser's former peerage shared, it surprised Seekvaria at how quickly they seemed to relay on her fiancé but it was Derek after all. But the blackette now seemed happy, smiling as she looked around, content.

She then turned towards her knights, two women of whom she was very proud of. The first {Knight} she reincarnated was a purple-haired woman named Saeko Busujima, a fierce swordswoman that had been her mother's most loyal servant for over a hundred years, Saeko was so far one of the two people that Seekvaria knew were capable of matching Derek's swordsmanship, though the woman has never won a spar, as Derek outmatched her strength by at least a whole planet. The purplette had wanted to become Seekvaria's sword since she saw it as a way to repay her mother's kindness, Saeko was saved by Aelia Agares during the 1800's, she had been a victim of the catastrophic pandemic flu during the nineteenth century and has served the Agares family ever since. The other sword under her command was without a doubt the only woman capable of matching Derek in a sword fight, she has won some times against him even, the redhead's name was Erza Scarlet, a fierce but gentle woman who was also a magician, a very powerful one. She however, had been kidnapped when she was young by the Russian mob, ready to be sold into slavery. But Derek had saved her along with at least two hundred more people, he saw her potential and since the young woman had nowhere to go, he offered her a home. She agreed and trained relentlessly, practically dedicating her life to Derek, who wanted to induct her into his Ghosts team, but Erza felt like a failure when Derek didn't go through with it. The red-headed woman calmed down after Derek explained that while she was one of the strongest humans in the world, she didn't had what it took to commit atrocities that his team required, he wanted to shield the woman from that world since Erza was without a doubt, an incredibly noble soul. Derek had then sent Erza to Seekvaria, it took the Agares quite a lot to earn the redhead's respect, more so when the woman seemed angry at Seekvaria, probably for being his very first official mate, but as time went on, Erza became loyal and caring. Seekvaria knew that out of everyone in her group, those two along with Wiz were the ones after Derek, Erza because she owed him her life and Saeko because she loved swords, and as far as Seekvaria could tell, there was no one better than Derek with those.

She then looked at the last six members of her group, her pawns. She had taken with her four of Raiser's former pawns, the twins Ile and Nel, the bluenette known as Mira and the tanned female Shuriya, Mira surprisingly needing a pair of pieces, all of them needed a lot of convincing as well as promising to still be under Derek, Seekvaria herself was under him so it was no doubt that they would. And her last two pawns, a cute young lady whose name was Chiho Sasaki, the young girl had been a victim of an armed robbery, the robber shooting her on the stomach, it was by sheer luck that Seekvaria had been around and not capable of seeing the young lady die, she revived her. Chiho turned out to be a Sacred Gear user carrying a powerful gear known as 'Angel's Touch', which allowed her to wield light as any angel would, making her extremely dangerous against devils, the Agares had to use two pawn pieces to reincarnate her. And her last member, the young perverted male known as Issei Hyōdō, carrier of a Twice Critical Sacred Gear, she reincarnated him after the Agares accidentally killed him during a fight against a stray, Seekvaria felt responsible so brought him back to life, though it took a while to get rid of his incessant pervetedness, and even after all the threats from Derek, Issei only made sure to be a silent pervert, though he now knew well which women were absolutely off limits, Derek had a way of knowing when someone else was sniffing on his territory and the brown-haired boy was not stupid enough to no heed the Hamilton's words.

Derek was actually kind of fond of the boy, stating that he served well as comic relief.

"Milady!" The sudden scream of Saeko brought the Agares back from her pondering, noticing how they were already in front of Yasaka's home and for what she could tell from everyone's looks, she had been indulging herself in an inner monologue for the ages.

"I s-see we a-are here…" Seekvaria cleared her throat before she fixed her glasses, an embarrassed blush on her cheeks as she started following the young boy leading them towards the yōkai leader. The Agares developed a stern look then, knowing that it was time to be serious, whatever the Nine Tailed Fox wanted, seemed to be urgent.

* * *

"I-I'm kind of nervous." A beautiful red-headed female said to an equally beautiful blonde who was sitting on a throne-like seat. The redhead in question was wearing a blue and black jacket with black jeans, her luscious and vibrant red hair falling freely on her back while a green small pin kept it away from her face, her piercing violet eyes aimed at the entrance of her home.

The blonde woman next to her was a lot like the redhead, only her yellow glowing hair differentiating them, that and three whisker marks on her cheeks, nine long and mesmerising golden tails swaying behind her. She was wearing a white kimono, royal even, and had two golden dog-like ears on her head, "Oh relax Kushina, you were the one that suggested this in the first place." The legendary Nine Tailed Fox giggled as she eyed her sister, amused at the woman's sudden nervousness.

Kushina blushed, turning towards her sister as she said, "I didn't heard you disagreeing! You want the Red Dragon Emperor enough to give me as a gift!"

Yasaka laughed, shaking her head amusedly while she commented, "Indeed I do, Kunō could use a sibling…" Yasaka sighed almost dreamily, not capable of getting the image of such incredible display of prowess from the Hamilton heir away from her mind, "But you want to go around the world and become a powerful fighter, he's the best option you have…" She sent a teasing smirk at her sister, adding, "And don't act as if you don't like the idea of _serving_ him."

Kushina's face went as red as her hair after she registered her sister's words, but before she could comment something rude towards her leader and sister, the doors to the hall were suddenly opened, both females holding their breaths before they silently whined when they saw that the silver-haired Adonis they awaited, was nowhere in sight, only a female devil with her peerage.

"Greetings, Lady Uzumaki." Seekvaria bowed at the blonde woman as she and her group finally reached her, her peerage showing the same respect towards the legendary creature who everyone knew that despite her beauty, was an incredibly dangerous warrior.

Yasaka hid her disappointment for a moment to greet back, nodding at her fellow blonde as she said, "Lady Agares, what a surprise…" She pouted a little, not capable of hiding her disappointment anymore when she added, "I was expecting Lord Hamilton, to be honest."

Seekvaria smiled a little, explaining, "Ah yes, but he is currently extremely busy with something in Luxembourg, I was surprised as well when I was asked to come here in his stead, but it appears that whatever is holding him there, is related to his military work, so I am afraid that I do not know why he couldn't come."

Yasaka's pout only enlarged, her sister tilting her head as she inquired, "Do you work for him?…" Kushina blushed a little in embarrassment when she forgot to introduce herself, so hastily added, "I-I'm sorry for my bluntness, I a-am Kushina Uzumaki, Yasaka's younger sister."

Seekvaria waved off the woman's apology, saying with a small smile, "It's okay, don't worry…" She focused back on the redhead's question, saying with a small smirk, "I do work for him sometimes, but I am here in his stead because I am his fiancée…" She hid her snicker when she saw the two women pouting even more at that, letting the Agares know that the Nine Tailed Fox was indeed interested in her beloved, "So I have to get used to this sort of things."

Yasaka frowned, stifling an annoyed sigh as she thought that it would all be useless now, she didn't knew that the man was already engaged, it certainly put a damper on her plans, "I s-see." She said dryly, incapable of hiding her disappointment at the news.

Both Uzumaki females then raised an eyebrow when not only Seekvaria, but her peerage started to giggle, with the Agares stating after some moments, "My, there's no need to be so sad…" Kushina and Yasaka only felt more confused, Seekvaria continuing saying, "Derek has a Harem, he is not a one-girl guy."

Yasaka and Kushina gasped at that, somewhat understanding why someone like him would have many partners, his genes were special and it made sense that the humans would want to have as many like him as possible. But still, it did made Yasaka reconsider her proposal for a moment, not knowing if she was capable of sharing her man. But since the alternatives were even more concerning, she relented, hoping that if he was capable of attracting so many women, since she could tell that even some in the Agares peerage were interested in the man, then it probably meant that he was not that bad.

She still wanted to play a little hard to get though, stating with a small blush, "W-Why would you think that I am interested in him?"

Seekvaria only shook her head in amusement, saying after, "Well, you don't really need him to strike an alliance with Humanity, Jonathan is the one you need to do so…" She shrugged, continuing, "Derek on the other hand has just recently revealed his status as the Red Dragon Emperor, and someone as capable as you should be able to see that he has merged with the Heavenly Dragon…" Some on her peerage along with Kushina widened their eyes at that, they didn't knew about it, "You are hardly the only one after him now, who wouldn't want a Heavenly Dragon as a partner?" The Agares finished, enjoying the awe-struck look on Kushina.

"S-So it is true…" Yasaka whispered, stunned even though she already had the suspicion. Her surprise was certainly warranted, there has been many Red Dragon Emperors in history, some even surpassing her in strength, but Derek was THE Red Dragon Emperor now, he wasn't Ddraig's champion, he was now one with the Heavenly Dragon, effectively making him a new Heavenly Dragon, someone capable of destroying her in a couple of minutes, "Humans a-are scary." She added as an afterthought, the growth of humanity was nothing short of almost unbelievable. As of right now, with the addition of a Heavenly Dragon, only the top ten strongest beings in the world could destroy humanity, it was definitely scary.

Seekvaria chuckled, adding, "Indeed…" She then sighed, crossing her arms below her bust before she inquired, "So, what is it that you wish, Lady Uzumaki?"

Yasaka shook her head, smiling a little as she said, "Oh please, call me Yasaka, if things work out, hopefully we can call each other sisters by the end of this." She giggled with a small blush, not even knowing what made her said such bold words.

"Sister!" Kushina screamed scandalised, blushing harshly as well.

Seekvaria though, just chuckled, saying, "Well then Yasaka, only time will tell about that…" She sighed, adding, "But I must warn you, Derek is an extremely difficult guy to deal with."

Yasaka tilted her head, looking at her sister for a moment before she inquired, "Why you say so?"

Seekvaria inhaled deeply, her eyes now serious as she spoke somewhat reservedly, "In short, he is… broken…" She knew that it was confusing for the two Uzumaki, so elaborated further, "Derek's been through a lot, the brutality you surely saw during his match against Raiser, is not even close to what he is capable of."

Yasaka gasped, her hand covering her mouth as she whispered a question, "S-So, the rumours a-about Somalia, they are true?" Kushina widened her eyes since she too heard of said rumours. Some of their people let them know about the eradication of the African country, it was something that sent alarms everywhere since the reason behind it was not openly known, only rumours about a supposedly angry creature being the one behind the destruction.

To think that a man was capable of committing such act, was something that made even the legendary fox shiver in fear.

Seekvaria nodded grimly, saying after a moment, "Indeed, while he is not an openly violent man, he is still the most dangerous opponent you'll ever face, regardless of whether you're stronger than him or not, Derek is a relentless dragon, and we all know that dragons are the strongest beings for a reason."

Yasaka stayed quiet for a moment, pondering on everything she now knew. It was definitely a warning to know that the Hamilton was capable of such evil, but she still couldn't really have it against him since she could easily tell that the Agares heiress, was madly in love with him, there has to be a contrast there, "You seem to be quite happy to be his fiancée despite his… c-capabilities." The blonde then commented, a little more reserved now.

Seekvaria though, surprised the two Uzumaki when she smiled so brightly that it almost blinded them, the Agares replying with such love in her voice that it was almost palpable, "He is indeed very dangerous, but if you manage to break his walls and cement a place in his heart, you'll find out that there is absolutely no one in this world capable of making you feel as precious and worthy as him, he will literally fight Great Red himself for those he love, he destroyed Somalia to protect his sister actually."

Yasaka actually smiled after that, a little more at ease when she remembered that while dragons are indeed frightening creatures, they were extremely loyal to those they cherished, the very kind of mate she needed right now, "Then I can only try my best to be precious to him…" She then looked at her sister, Kushina gulping as the yōkai leader added, "In fact, I have a gift for him as a token of friendship."

Kushina blushed once she was placed on the spotlight, the redhead waving her hand coyly as she said sheepishly, rubbing her scruff with a nervous laugh, "H-Hi."

Seekvaria raised an eyebrow, looking at the redhead before she focused on the blonde again, asking with a little warning in her voice, "You are giving him a woman? He is not one for such… gifts… you know?"

Kushina blushed a storm once she understood what the Agares was implying, her sister saying hastily, "Oh no! No!…" Yasaka chuckled nervously, cursing herself for not wording her meaning better, "I-It's not like that! I c-can definitely see that M-Mr Hamilton would be mad with something like that…" Seekvaria nodded at that, Yasaka sighing before she explained better, "M-My sister wishes to become a s-strong warrior and to know the world outside of Kyoto, I t-thought it would be a wonderful idea to offer her sword to M-Mr Hamilton, my sister would learn f-from him and know the world, he would get a powerful ally and I would have something that connected us so t-that I can be close to him."

Seekvaria did sighed relieved, Satan knows how angry would've Derek be if someone ever offered him something like that. He hated the practice of servitude incredibly, he only put up with it with her and Rias because they were special to him and because they treated them well. The Agares had no doubt in her mind that if she were one to treat her people badly, Derek would've surely do something similar to her than Raiser.

Still, the Agares knew that there was something else behind Yasaka's words, it didn't felt sinister, but there was something and if she has learned anything from her beloved, was that you should never, never sign a deal without reading the small letters, "If that is, then I do not see any problem with that…" Seekvaria said, eliciting a small smile on Kushina while Yasaka giggled with glee, "But before I accept on his behalf…" Seekvaria could tell that Yasaka was genuinely interested on her mate, now she only needed to know what wasn't she telling, "I need to know why."

Yasaka tilted her head, asking confused, "Why what?"

Seekvaria sighed, saying, "I know that you, as a powerful being, only feel attracted to beings even more powerful, but I have been under my fiancé's wing for a while now, enough to know that you are hiding something…" Yasaka widened her eyes, Kushina tensing as the Agares finished with a question, "So please, be forthcoming with me, otherwise I will refuse, and Derek will not give you the time of day anymore."

Yasaka eyed her sister, both sighing defeated before Yasaka nodded slightly, explaining, "Alright, a-alright, I understand…" She inhaled, her eyes closed for a moment before she opened them again and spoke, "The truth of the matter is, that I already had an eye on Derek before his reveal…" That shocked Seekvaria, "I have been following him ever since Jonathan Hamilton spoke to me about him, I was planning on making my interest known after he grew a little older, but recent… events… have forced me to move faster."

Seekvaria tilted her head, wondering, "What events?"

"There is a rule in our customs that I cannot get rid of…" Yasaka started saying, a little depressed as she continued, "It states that if I do not get married, anyone capable of defeating me inside the clan can lay claim on me in order to produce an heir, I do have one, but her father was human and I had thought that it would appease the elders, but they are forcing me to have a powerful heir, Kunō has potential, but not enough to surpass me."

Seekvaria hummed, nodding as she seemed to understand, "And someone capable of defeating you has appeared then."

Yasaka nodded, saying, "Yes, the problem with him is that he is a dangerous man, he has openly claimed his desire to conquer Japan back from the humans, willing to shed innocent blood for his greed…" She shivered, afraid of the mere thought of falling on his hands, "I am afraid that I may not be capable of stopping him."

"So if Derek becomes your mate, I take it that either this guy loses his chance to claim you, or Derek can fight for you." Seekvaria deduced.

"Yes, Deisuke will lose his chance to claim me and the throne." Yasaka asserted.

Kushina then added to her sister's words, "But that man will not stop even then, if he is not capable of claiming my sister, he will try to take the power by force, so having someone as strong as Mr Hamilton on our side, will definitely give us an edge over him."

Seekvaria nodded, finally understanding the whole thing, saying with a small smile, "That is all fine and dandy, but you must know that Derek still works for humanity, so he will expect the yōkai community to sign a treaty with them."

Yasaka nodded, already knowing that it would be a requisite for sure, "I had foreseen that and I have no problem with it, of course, as long as it doesn't puts my people in an unpleasant position, that is."

Seekvaria shook her head, saying, "No, Humans may be gaining a lot of power, but the Hamiltons are not oppressors, they understand that if they push someone too much, it would cause more trouble than it's worth…" She then looked back at the blonde, adding, "Though I am afraid that I cannot make the deal, you'll have to speak to Jonathan directly for that."

Yasaka nodded, saying, "I understand, I shall speak to him later…" She then turned towards her sister, bringing her close as she whispered to the redhead, "Be good, Kushi, I am sure that you will have a wonderful experience and that you'll be able to become the warrior you wish to be."

Kushina smiled, hugging her sister tightly as well while she responded, "I will, Yasa, we will keep in touch and whenever I am allowed, I will come and visit you and Kunō."

Yasaka smiled, not really sad because she knew that if everything worked out in the end, her sister will remain close no matter what, "Then I leave it to you…" She whispered to Kushina who nodded and started making her way towards Seekvaria, Yasaka saying shyly before they left, "S-Seekvaria…" The woman in question hummed, the blonde asking, "C-Could… c-could you tell M-Mr Hamilton that I would be delighted to see him?"

Seekvaria smirked, nodding as she said, "Don't worry Yasaka, I'll make sure that he makes time for you, we women gotta stick together, right?" She giggled along with Yasaka and said their goodbyes, heading back to Kuoh now that there was no need to remain, though she sighed when she started hearing her group wanting to explore the city. It served her though, enough to talk to Derek and let him now that a new woman would be going to him soon, she just hoped that he won't get mad for this.

* * *

Derek sighed as he rested his chin on his palm, looking at the window of his classroom, wishing that training time arrived sooner than not. It was one of the many benefits of being a star athlete, it gave you a lot of leeway with normal classes and teachers usually looked the other way whenever an athlete did something, they did brought a lot of money from sponsors and publicity to the school, so athletes usually had preferential treatment, well, special ones that is.

He half listened as the economics class teacher gave his lecture, Tsubasa replying to his question before she sat back. She was sitting next to him, all of the members from the SC in his class surrounding him almost protectively, making him snort.

"Derek…" Tsubasa's whisper then drew his attention, his girlfriend keeping her eyes towards the teacher as she continued harshly, "Fischer is not one of those that will let you get away with dozing off just because of who you are, pay attention."

Derek raised an eyebrow, surprised to see the bluenette so assertive all of a sudden, though he knew that she was feeling somewhat like a failure when compared to his other three mates. Tsubasa has been throwing herself in an even vigorous training created by Aleister, she apparently wanted to surprise him so went to his second in command for advice.

Though to be honest, Derek found it unnecessary, he didn't had favourites, and even if Tsubasa was a mere human with no special abilities whatsoever, she was still his mate and someone he genuinely, _'… l-lov…'_ He struggled to even think of the word, but he really couldn't say it aloud, it was too difficult for him. But returning to the subject, he as a dragon and as an Alpha, he saw it as his responsibility to make sure that his women didn't need to trouble themselves with getting stronger, he planned to be there every time they needed him. But even he knew that there will be times where they'll need to fend off for themselves, at least enough for him to arrive. There was no way in Great Red's glory that he would fail someone he cherished again, he's endured so much to make sure of that.

But returning to the bluenette who was still looking at him out of the corner of her eye, Derek smirked mischievously as he sneakily brought his left hand to Tsubasa's back, the woman stifling a gasp while a blush appeared on her cheeks as Derek started to slowly trace his hand down, sending delicious shivers down her spine.

"D-D-Dere…" Tsubasa tried to say but had to cover her mouth when her boyfriend suddenly cupped her right ass-cheek, squeezing it a little, the boy not even looking at her as she struggled to compose herself, cursing her own body for betraying her in a moment like this. Though it was hardly her fault, she has already recognised the silverette as her Alpha, her own body has accepted him as such so it immediately reacted to his touch.

Saji raised an eyebrow when he heard a gasp from the seat behind him, knowing it to belong to Tsubasa, he idly looked at his sides to find that Momo, Reya and Tomoe were all blushing a storm, Momo squirming on her seat as they all refused to look at the two people behind them all. He looked quickly to see what was going on, incapable of stopping his scream as he observed the scene of a blushing Tsubasa struggling to keep her moans while Derek groped her behind, "Oh s-shit!" He cursed himself when he noticed what he'd done, refusing to look at the Hamilton who surely was annoyed by being interrupted.

"Mr Saji, is there a problem?" The teacher asked with a frown. He has never liked the Hamilton, he was too damn arrogant for his tastes, but he was the school's most prized student, regardless of his distaste. But whatever made the Japanese boy scream, the teacher knew that it had to do with the Hamilton heir.

They all missed how Derek's eyes suddenly went icy cold, his gaze wondering towards the window and observed as a raven-haired female walked beside Sona, Tsubaki, Rias and Akeno.

Saji scratched his scruff sheepishly, tensing when he felt Derek's anger rising, though he was confused because it was not aimed at him, "N-N-No sir!… hehe… j-just… u-umm…"

He was saved by the time however, as the teacher cursed when he noticed that his time was up, stating as he went back to his desk and prepared to leave, "We'll discuss it later, our time is up for today, make sure to read the pages pointed in the board, I will be quizzing you lot next week."

Everybody then started to hastily leave the room, though the SC devils didn't knew whether it was because they were bored of the class, or because of Derek's sudden rage, "D-Derek?" Tsubasa inquired, worried as her boyfriend stood up and started walking towards the entrance. On the outside he seemed as cool as usual, but his aura was making it hard to breathe.

"Boss!" Aleister suddenly appeared right outside the classroom, the usually cheerful blackette now wearing a troubled expression.

"I know, I saw her…" Derek said icily while he continued walking, all of the devils following him transfixed, though they were mostly afraid of what happened to anger him all of a sudden, "Let's see what she's doing here."

Aleister bit his lip, asking, "I-If it's to cause trouble?"

The devils present shivered and felt their confusion growing when Derek simply replied, his eyes aimed up front, "Then we kill her."

* * *

"So…" Sona began once she sat on her chair in the Student Council Room, her vice-president standing dutifully at her side while Rias and Akeno both sat on a couch some steps away from them, waiting for the Sitri to finish her current business, "How does the Academy looks for you so far?"

The woman before the Sitri was without a doubt a beauty, though it was almost in a dangerous kind of way. She had white creamy skin, piercing honey-coloured eyes that held untold mischief in them, the woman's long silky black hair reaching below her butt, held in a ponytail similar to that of Akeno by a red ribbon. She was wearing a black skirt that allowed her long legs to show once in a while, a white buttoned shirt that was slightly opened on the lower part, while the buttons on the top part weren't closed fully, showing just an enticing bit of her modest bust, "Well…" The woman begin, a sexy smirk on her lips and showing confidence as she added, "It is indeed pretty, but what attracts me the most is the volleyball team."

Sona nodded, wincing when she felt a sudden spike of anger that alerted everyone in the room, all knowing where it came from. But since the woman before them was a human, they couldn't alert her of anything, so she needed to finish this as soon as possible to see what caused Derek such anger, "Yes, we have one of the best volleyball teams in Europe, a remarkable player like yourself should fit right in the team, Mrs Fudo."

Fudo smiled, saying, "Please, call me Akio…" On the outside she seemed calm but on the inside, she was sweating bullets while her heart beat like crazy. She knew that Derek had seen her and she knew that he was moments away from reaching her, she just hoped that before he kills her, he tells her why he let her live back then, "I am sure I'll fit right in, in no time." She finished with a forced smile, preparing herself for her old boss.

Just before the Sitri heiress could say anything, the door to the room was suddenly opened violently, a dangerous looking Derek walking in with the devils and Aleister in tow, "D-Derek?…" Sona said carefully, knowing that he was mad.

Everybody gasped when Derek walked towards the human female who was talking to Sona and grabbed her violently by the throat, throwing her towards the wall and punching the concrete, his fist leaving a dent on the wall just a millimetre away from the woman's face, a tight hold on her neck while he leered on her dangerously.

"D-Derek!…" Tsubasa made to run towards him but had to stop when Aleister had a gun aimed at her head, the bluenette shocked to see such hostility shown towards them all, whispering, "A-Al?"

Aleister did looked apologetic, saying with a frown, "Sorry Tsubasa, everyone, but don't interfere."

Before anyone could inquire why, Akio couldn't help herself but revel on the felling of Derek paying attention to her again, even if it was bad attention. She and Derek had always shared a harsh relationship, she loved to be treated roughly by him, there has been no other man capable of making her submit in the way the silverette has, hence why she couldn't stop from saying playfully, despite the choke, "G-Gotta admit it, B-Boss… _argh_ … I-I've missed y-your rough touch."

Derek leered even closer, his face betraying absolutely nothing as he questioned, his hold on her neck tightening, "What are you doing here, Akio?"

Akio knew the Hamilton very well, he was not one for jokes and wasting time, so no longer being playful, she just gripped his jacket tightly, longingly, her eyes avoiding his while she still struggled for breath. She was still one of the most powerful humans in the world though, so she was capable of withstanding the choke for now, "I-I…" She struggled, though not for the choke, but for the moment of reuniting with the man she loved, "I w-want… n-need… t-to know why?"

Derek punched the woman on the gut, knowing that despite what it may look, she was incredibly dangerous, he trained her after all. So once Akio was on the ground on her knees, a thin line of blood running down the corner of her lips, he asked, absolute, above her, "Know what?"

Akio closed her eyes, stopping the tears from coming, she knew she deserved it, no matter how much she tried to mask her reasons, she still hurt Alice in a way that was almost irreparable and Derek was way too overprotective of his sister, "W-Why… w-why didn't you k-killed me?"

The devils were both extremely alarmed and confused, it was clear that those two knew each other, very well they might add, but it was clear as well that something happened, something bad enough to anger Derek at the mere presence of the woman. Aleister for his part narrowed his eyes, his ears locked on the conversation since he too wanted to know why Derek didn't killed the woman, she betrayed them, she had kidnapped Alice along with the other two Ghosts, there was no reason he could find that warranted his Boss' mercy.

Derek kept looking at the woman below him with no emotion, saying, "What makes you think I spared you?"

Akio looked up meekly at the silverette, tears falling now as she countered, "Y-You… y-you never m-miss."

Derek tilted his head, countering back, "What if I did?"

Akio then looked back at the ground, already resigned to her faith, she only wanted to escape from her torture, from this cursed life she herself created. So she pulled a long knife from her skirt, the devils tensing but Aleister once again stopped them from moving, observing as the Fudo woman presented the knife to Derek submissively, stating with a whisper, "T-Then… d-don't miss this t-time… D-Derek."

She felt when Derek grabbed the knife, the woman closing her eyes tightly as tears fell. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, how grateful she was to him for giving her a life, a purpose, a duty she felt proud of until she fucked it up herself. But all those times they spent together, all those nights they made love, all of those moments, are moments she will take with her to hell.

To everyone's surprise, Derek threw the knife towards the wall, the sharp object imbedding itself in the concrete, Akio looking up with wide teary eyes as Derek avoided her gaze for some moments before he closed them and sighed deeply, speaking after some seconds, "I didn't killed you because I knew what were you doing."

Akio struggled to speak, but still had enough strength to whisper, "W-What?"

Derek sighed again, massaging his temples before he replied, "I know you only betrayed us to make sure that Alice was okay…" Akio widened her eyes at that, never thinking that her Boss had actually seen right through her, "You were always the one wearing your emotions for all to see, Akio, I could see it right through you when you fought me, you were expecting, hoping that I killed you and had Alice been raped or even touched in an improper manner by that African gang you contracted to help you, I would've killed you…" He looked at the kneeling woman then, his eyes still an icy blue as he continued, "But I could tell that you betrayed me to protect Alice in your own way, it was the wrong one, and all of that shit could've been avoided if you'd let me know about Luis and Niko's betrayal, but you were always hot-headed, you've never worked well under pressure."

Akio was agape, crying heavily as she slowly brought a hand to Derek's pants, gripping them tightly as she inquired, "S-So?…"

Derek sighed, massaging his forehead while he muttered, "Get up."

"B-But…" Akio was trying to say before Derek interrupted her harshly.

"I said, get up, soldier." Derek spoke in such commanding tone that everyone in the room suddenly felt the urge to salute and stand in line as if he were addressing them at the moment.

"Y-Yes, sir!" Akio said, incapable of fighting the commanding tone of her boss, her old soldier senses kicking again as they recognised her leader.

Derek didn't know why, but he brought his thumb to clean Akio's blood and tears, the woman widening her eyes at the sudden tender touch before Derek said, "You made a mistake, but you cared for Alice enough to betray me and protect her your own way, that warranted my mercy on you…" Akio fought her tears back, knowing that Derek hated tender moments, "I guess, I just wanted to punish you and let you be from there on, I'm quite surprised to see you here."

Akio recovered her breath as Derek started to separate himself from the woman, the blackette stating with a whisper, "I t-tried… to l-live… but I…" She sighed, looking down as she continued, "But I, couldn't… I needed t-to know, to know why y-you didn't killed me…" She then closed her eyes, whispering even lower, "A-And to see you again."

Derek gave his back to the woman, sighing as he heard the last sentence, stating annoyed, "You have nowhere to go, do you?…" He heard the barely audible 'no' Akio muttered, Derek sighing again before he aimed his blues to Sona who felt startled for suddenly being addressed, "Sorry for this, but can you make sure that Akio gets in Aleister's class?…" Sona, dumbfounded, just nodded, transfixed as the Hamilton then addressed Aleister, "Al, make sure that everything is in order, once Akio's papers are well and done, take her to Yubelluna and tell her that Akio is to stay with them."

Aleister nodded with a small smile, he still didn't trusted his old teammate, but he was glad to see that Derek actually showed some tenderness towards her, it was an immense leap from the vindictive and vicious man he used to be, "Leave it to me, Boss." He said as Derek made his way out of the room, stating that he had practice and quickly shooting down any attempt from the devils to know what happened.

"A-Alright…" Rias whispered, completely shocked at what just happened, dumbly looking at Akio who was calming down before her eyes landed on Aleister, asking what was on everyone's mind, "W-What in L-Lord Lucifer's name just happened?"

Aleister sighed, his gun back on its holster before he explained, "Well, you remember about 'Ghosts', right?…" They all nodded, already knowing about the human elite team, "Well, Akio here was part of the team…" They all widened their eyes as they observed the woman, suddenly uncomfortable from being put on the spotlight, still shaken by her confrontation with Derek, "Her codename is 'GhostFour' and she along with GhostThree and GhostFive, kidnapped Alice in an attempt to draw Derek out and kill him…" Akio winced, remembering the event, "Though as we now know, there was more than meets the eye on that story, I guess." Aleister added, not really knowing how to feel about his teammate. On one side, she had been a sister to him, they shared so many moments that a part of him was happy to see her alive. But on the other side, she was one of the responsible for making Derek go mad and commit genocide, as well as to go into Juggernaut Drive and trimming his life span quite a lot.

Sona sighed, not used to be the one that needed explaining, it has become such a weird life after the Hamilton entered the picture, but well, there was an old say about dragons and their power to attract powerful and strange things, "Are you going to be a problem?" She asked Akio, defeated.

Akio regained her voice after a while, her heart still beating harshly while she replied honestly, "I… I j-just want to make it up to him…" There was no deception in her voice, which calmed everyone down, "S-So I'll behave and do a-as he says, you have my word."

Sona sighed again, nodding and heading towards her desk while she muttered, "Let's do it then, I don't want to deal with an angry Derek." Everyone shivered at that, it was impressive how the mere angry aura of a Heavenly Dragon was enough to make everyone do their best to avoid angering him, there was a reason why the factions of the world needed to join to defeat the two Heavenly Dragons after all.

Aleister just chuckled, trying to defuse the tension, happy to see that everyone was now relieved, though Tsubasa was already gone, probably going towards her mate, wanting to be close to him right now. He did hid his worried sigh however, he knew that the peace they were enjoying was running out, there was a storm coming and he could only hope that Derek would be alive by the time it arrives, but for what he knew of his state, the blackette knew that it was more wistful thinking than not.

* * *

Michael Webber made his way towards his home, the rain heaving above him as if matching his mood. He just had a confrontation with his master after he performed miserably against a stray. She was absolutely right about being mad though, if Koneko had been someone else, she may have actually gotten really hurt back there, he was supposed to have her back but he was completely out of it, his mind was stubbornly somewhere else.

The blond's problem was quite simple, he was starting to feel happy, happy with his life and how it was going, and he wasn't supposed to feel content with this life, he was supposed to be an avenger, a man who only lived to bring pain to those who harmed him and killed his friends, family even, the people with whom he grew up, the people with whom he withstood the horrible experiments the church performed on them, the people with whom he prayed alongside, wondering why was God asking so much of them.

He used to be able to forget about his content due to the many threats and jobs that constantly kept his group busy, Rias was the one in charge of this country, so its safety ultimately befell on her. They had a lot of work because of that, so his mind was occupied practically all of the time.

But now though, ever since the Hamilton heir had arrived to the city, it has been incredibly peaceful. He had thought that it may be just a coincidence but after the brutal show the silverette gave during the Rating Game, Michael knew that simply put, only those brave or stupid enough would dare to walk into his territory, because despite the fact that neither Rias nor Sona say so, everybody knew that Luxembourg was HIS territory, and only those foolish enough would walk into his home to cause trouble. So that left little to no job, only the occasional stray here and there.

It now left him enough free time to remember all of the things that were done to him and his comrades, all those horrors they endured for the sake of God, because they were childish and stupid, believing that they were actually serving a greater purpose, following the will of the 'All-Merciful', " _Pft…_ merciful my ass…" If only he could get five minutes with the creator.

"A-Ah!…" A sudden scream drew the blond out of his troubles, a man wearing a priest outfit suddenly falling to the floor, the rain showering the blood that stained him before the priest noticed Michael, pleading, "P-Please… h-hel… argh!…" He couldn't finish his sentence because a sword suddenly pierced his torso.

Michael felt his blood boil at the sight of the sword, not even caring about the man wielding it as he recognised it well, "Ah hahaha…" The white-haired male wielding the blade laughed maniacally, taking the sword out from the dead priest before he said, "Pathetic! You were absolutely no fun!…" He kicked the dead priest, stopping when he noticed a scent he knew well, turning to his side to see a devil he recognised, "Ah Blondie! I remember you!…" He said with glee before he shivered as he remembered the memory, stating, "You were there with that… that… fricking silver-haired devil lover!"

Michael narrowed his eyes at the man, his anger rising to dangerous levels as he inquired in between gritted teeth, "Is that?…" He pointed at the sword.

Freed tilted his head, humming in confusion before he saw where the devil was pointing at, declaring gleefully, "Ah! Yes! My new toy!…" He swung the sword around a couple of times before he looked at the devil again, saying with a vicious smirk, "Wanna test it?"

The young priest laughed like a lunatic while he lunged at Michael, swinging the sword towards the boy's stomach but surprisingly, the devil managed to create a sword out of nowhere, parrying the strike with a little trouble.

"It really is an Excalibur." Michael muttered with hatred filling his voice, trying to push the other swordsman away, surprised at the strength the foul mouthed priest had.

"Hahaha!…" Freed laugh, pushing his sword with more power as he added, "I see you know your swords, very nice!…" He jumped back, landing some steps away from the blonde and saying while pointing the legendary sword at the devil, "I wish we could play more but I have strict orders to not cause a fuss!…" He pouted, saying with mock sadness at Michael, "Ah but don't worry Blondie, we will have our fun soon! Chao chao!" Freed suddenly disappeared in a burst of speed.

Michael crushed the sword he held, anger filling him as he was too slow to stop the priest from leaving, "Guess it's not that peaceful then." He added once he calmed down a little, walking away towards his home, knowing that the priest might've escaped this time, but if the ominous feeling around was anything to go by, then Michael was sure that he'll have his chance to destroy that cursed sword.

* * *

"So she's giving me her sister?" Derek said, exasperated as he massaged his temples and listened to what his fiancée was saying about her meeting with the yōkai matriarch. He was currently on the back of a black rover, driven by Aleister as he took him to the opening of his brand new nightclub.

The Hamilton hated this sort of charades, but there were many important people and celebrities who would be attending the opening, if the owner of the place arrives like commoner, the media will talk nonsense.

He focused back on his phone, as his soon-to-be wife sighed, stating, " _No, my love, Kushina wants to become a strong warrior, a strong swordswoman, Yasaka wants to begin a friendship with you and see if it may leads to something else, Kushina is not a gift, she is just sort of like… umm… a proxy, I guess._ "

Derek sighed, saying, "And why should I care about her problem? I'm not one to fight other men for women, you know that." He could understand why the Nine Tailed Fox would set her sights on him, but to use him as a shield to save herself from another man did not sit well with him.

" _Derek…_ " Seekvaria's exasperated voice was heard, the woman adding a little pleadingly, " _Look, I understand that this sudden rush of women surrounding you is annoying you…_ " The Agares ignored the 'understatement of the year' that her beloved threw under his breath as she continued, " _But you're gonna have to suck it up, this is what you get for not being a one-girl-guy, women will not be flocking you if you'd settled with only me, but we're already long past that, so this is what you'll have to deal with._ "

Derek smirked, very proud of Seekvaria as she raised her voice against him, it was very unusual for him to meet people who were willing to challenge his words, and the fact that four of those that were willing are his mates, told why he was so protective of them, "Alright…" He sighed, defeated, capable of imagining Seekvaria's smug smirk as he conceded, "Send her here then, I'll pick her up in the airport myself."

He listened as Seekvaria agreed happily and bid him goodbye, focusing back on the world to notice that he was already outside his club. He had to give it to the construction team, the once abandoned warehouse, was now a huge modern and luxurious nightclub, "Let's get this over with." He sighed as Akio opened the door for him. It has been two days since her arrival and she has surprisingly behaved quite well, doing as he told her to and not complaining once.

Both Akio and Aleister took their place behind Derek, guarding him as he walked through the red carpet, forcibly smiling at the paparazzi who snapped picture after picture, some common people enjoying the opening and screaming the boy's name, it was certainly incredible to see how famous Derek was, despite the silverette's hatred of the very fact.

Derek nodded at the guard who immediately let his boss walk into his establishment, Derek admiring the interior of his club as the DJ blasted the place with his tunes, those lucky enough to receive an invitation dancing wildly and having a good time with drinks and music.

"M-Ma… I m-mean… sir!" A feminine voice won the Hamilton's attention back to the front to see Yubelluna, looking as dazzling as ever with her long purple hair and a formal attire that only served to accentuate her beauty. Since most of those that stayed with Derek from Raiser's ex peerage were already older, none of them wanted to be in the Academy with him, so they decided to work in the club in Derek's stead, Yubelluna working as the manager of the place, Siris working as the head of security, Xuelan working as the Promoter of the place, with Marion and Burent deciding to aid them during the night as waitresses, it certainly made the place more personal to the Hamilton.

Derek smiled as a singer took a photo with him, the people looking at the silverette as if he was some sort of holy grail, though none of those who knew the Hamilton were surprised, Derek did had that strange aura around him that commanded both respect and awe.

"Is everything going well?" Derek asked once he waved at some people, following Yubelluna as she took him to his private place inside the club. Great Red have mercy on this night, otherwise Derek wasn't sure if he would be capable of withstanding all this public relationships crap, he liked to party, but on a more personal level, _'Well, it's all on my favour at the end…'_ He thought, reminding himself that this was all a façade to be able to carry military operations in this country without attracting much attention, as well as being the perfect place to gather information from all the VIPs that will come from now on. Derek knew that those that mattered, will never fall for something like this, those below them though, they were another story.

Yubelluna nodded, looking back at her master while they surfed through the crowd, replying, "Yes sir, the patrons are having an exhilarating night, the VIPs are asking for you none stop to congratulate you for such amazing establishment…" She focused back on the front to lead the Hamilton through the stairs, up to the VIP zone, continuing, "Lady Rias and Lady Sona along with their… people… are already waiting for you in your private zone, they seemed to be having fun."

Derek nodded, knowing that neither devil women were much of party lovers. The only ones he could see in this sort of environment were Ni, who now belonged to Rias, and Saji, Momo and Ruruko from Sona's group, the rest were more reserved people, Rias and Sona being very haughty for this outings, and Akeno and Tsubaki being too shy for this sort of things.

"There is something else, sir…" Yubelluna suddenly stopped once they reached the VIP zone, turning to look at her master and his two guards to continue, "There is a person who requested to speak with you, I would've ignored her like the rest, but she claimed to be the heiress of the Rothschild family…" She flinched when Derek narrowed his blues at her, the woman gulping, asking meekly, "D-Did I… did I d-do wrong?" She couldn't help her sudden attitude from changing. Back when she did something wrong, Raiser would abuse her from her mistake, not in the rape way, but definitely with the other physical way, she couldn't stop from recoiling at the sudden reminder of her previous life.

Derek sighed, closing his eyes as he cursed himself from showing Yubelluna his annoyance, she didn't earned it and he knew that she and her group were still struggling with their memories from their time under the Phenex's service. So he surprised Yubelluna when he tenderly caressed her cheek, not caring about the people looking at them as he said, "No Yubelluna, you are doing a fantastic job…" The woman smiled a little, her relief as clear as day when Derek continued, "Where is she?…" Yubelluna pointed him towards the right direction, the Hamilton turning to look at Akio and Aleister to say, "You know the drill."

Both former Ghosts agents nodded, already knowing who the Rothschild heiress was and how fiery she could be, so they just urged Yubelluna to take them to the rest of their group and let Derek go to the heiress.

"You took your sweet time to get here, sweetheart." The strong yet mesmerising voice of a woman made Derek realise that he was already in front of the Rothschild heiress. The woman was someone that Derek could easily place at the par with Grayfia in terms of beauty, she had light-blue long straight hair that reached her knees, covering her toned behind, she had the greatest face he has ever seen in any human, rivalling even those who could mould their faces to their liking like the devils, and almost hypnotising blue eyes, a shade lighter than his. She was currently wearing a leather attire, tight jeans with a marine blue buttoned shirt and a black jacket on top of it, similar to the one that Derek likes to use most of the time.

Despite the natural sexiness and air of royalty the woman carried, Derek knew that she was one hell of a fighter, having a Sacred Gear that allowed her to control Ice, Derek knowing that her gear could easily be classified as a new Longinus due to its incredible power. The only reason for why she wasn't inducted in Ghosts, was because the woman was obsessed with Derek and during missions, her only focus would be to make sure that he was safe. That and the fact that she was too young at the time, Derek might be a monster, but he still refused to damage people he thought didn't needed to with the atrocities that a group like Ghosts needed to commit, even if he was the one that most of the time took on the darkest actions, he still felt regret for taking Aleister, Akio, Niko and Luis through such dark path, he tried to shield them as much as he could, but in the end, Niko and Luis ended up succumbing to the darkness, Akio barely escaping and Aleister managing to avoid it since he usually was the one that stayed behind as their support.

Derek snorted, leaning on the wall right next to the woman, his eyes wandering towards the dancing crowd as he answered, "You know me well, Esdeath, I don't like this sort of things."

Esdeath giggled, scooting a little closer to the boy before she said, "True, it took me a while to understand why you would open a place like this…" She looked at him, her blues almost shinning at seeing him only, "Aren't you going to take me to dance?"

Derek sighed, replying dryly, "I don't dance…" Knowing that the woman was about to follow with a sexual solution, he quickly added, "What are you doing here, Esdeath? Your grandfather is going to be pissed if he finds out you were here with me."

Esdeath pouted, huffing as she replied, "I don't care, the Old Man it's about to retire anyway, soon I will be left as the matriarch and I will finally be able to finish this stupid rivalry with your family…" She wanted to add more, but she knew Derek well, he was going to get pissed if she continued to be pushy, so she added, with a more serious tone, "I'm here to see if you know about the Korea situation."

Derek perked at that, his eyes now fully focused on the woman as he inquired, "We've been having trouble getting anything on North Korea, they are formidable at keeping quiet, but I know that Kim Jong-un has something that will push the Koreas to war again."

Esdeath nodded, making sure that nobody was listening since the information was quite delicate, "Yeah, but somehow my grandpa found out that whatever the North has on the South, is strong evidence against the US as well."

Derek narrowed his eyes at that even more, his mind already going with multiple scenarios until it settled on the one he saw more likely to occur, "Kim will spill the beans, the North and the South will fight it out, Russia and China will be pissed by US interference and in two years' time, the world will enter into the Third World War."

Esdeath looked at her crush with a raised eyebrow, the woman feeling a little unnerved by the challenging glint in those eyes that haunted her dreams so much. She knew that she was usually feared for the brutality she can show, she was of course supposed to be the Rothschild's answer to Derek himself, but nobody could ever match the Hamilton, not in the human world at least, and even if she was known as the 'Ice Queen', capable of committing things very few dared, she still fell incredible short with the man beside her, he had already committed genocide by the age of twenty, "You sound excited." She whispered, shivering a little at the thought.

Derek smirked at her, his eyes cold yet somehow burning with intensity as he said, "I was breed for war, what do you expect me to feel when the threat of global conflict is closer to reality than ever?"

Esdeath just sighed, looking down a little as she got rid of the shivers that assaulted her, it was no doubt why the silverette was known as the Human God, "Then I better start to get ready…" She looked up to him and stole a chaste kiss, smiling when he didn't pulled away, saying after, "Can't let you have all the fun of saving the world."

Derek just snorted as the woman made her way out of the club, a seductive sway on her hips that despite his best efforts, still caught his eye, along with everybody else's. But he shook his head then, sighing as he decided to talk to his grandfather later about this discovery. He had to admit that while he did liked the peace because it allowed his women to be in tranquillity, he needed some action, otherwise he would never be able to achieve his one true goal.

* * *

"Akeno?" Rias asked with a raised eyebrow as the blackette in question walked behind a guy that's been pestering her all night for a dance. The guy didn't seemed like an asshole or creepy, he has behaved well and all, but Rias could see it as clear as day how he was starting to annoy her {Queen}. Though for some strange reason, she was now apparently going to give him the dance.

Akeno looked at her master, saying lowly so that they guy wouldn't hear, "Maybe if I dance with him, he'll leave me alone and…" She trailed off as she bit her lip, looking a little towards the side before she quickly dragged the guy to the dance floor, not saying anything else.

Rias frowned when she understood what was Akeno doing, she wanted to avoid Derek since he was now making his way towards them, "Finished with the heiress?" Akio's question made the Gremory focus back on her lover, the young man walking towards the table and serving himself a glass of whisky.

Derek sipped his drink, sighing contently as the sweet taste of his thirty thousand pound Dalmore 50, which he has kept for such occasions, hit his tongue, "Yeah…" Derek muttered, his voice still sounding as imposing as ever even with such loud music, "We'll have trouble later down the line." He added as he made his way towards Rias who was leaning on the railing, keeping an eye on her best friend, not that she needed it, but the Gremory still worried for her depression.

Rias didn't focused on the frowns that appeared on Akio's and Aleister's lips since her lover now stood beside her, looking at the dancing crowd while he rested his weight on his forearms that laid on the railing, his eyes narrowing at Akeno once he saw her.

Rias saw how another guy was about to make a move on her, already tired of all the men that have tried the very same all night on practically all of them. They could easily scare them with their demonic aura but they had to play nice at least for tonight, none of them really wanted to have a night like this in a while.

Rias thought of a quick excuse to perhaps stop the rather handsome guy from even reaching her, the Gremory turning her body to Derek and caressing his back tenderly, making sure to show that she was already occupied as she whispered with honest worry, "Something bothering you?" She sighed relieved when the guy immediately mended his way towards somewhere else, not daring to walk in now that the Hamilton was here.

Derek was genuinely confused as to why he couldn't take his eyes away from Akeno. The woman was dancing with that annoying fake smile of hers, making sure to keep the guy's hands off of her, a considerable distance between her and her dancing partner, the guy seemingly oblivious to Akeno's distaste or not caring, "I didn't took Akeno for the dancing type." He muttered before he sipped his drink again, his eyes narrowing more when the guy tried to move his hand lower on Akeno's back, the blackette immediately stopping him.

Rias was definitely surprised to see such incredibly rare moment of jealousy, it made her jealous for a moment before she remembered that he was already possessive of her, though he never showed to the public, she knew he was always looking at her. Though jealousy may not be the right word since Seekvaria had told her before the night she slept with him, that Derek had a different kind of jealousy, he would never care even if you slept with another guy, both because he knew it would be sort of hypocritical of him and because he genuinely didn't cared about it. But the Gremory has always been confused of that until Seekvaria, or Alivian better said, explained to her that he didn't mind because he knew well that he was their Alpha. It was instinctual, his dragon nature was stronger that his human side so something as small as jealousy didn't registered on his mind, he didn't cared because he knew that at the end of the day, she and the rest will always see him as their one and true Alpha, something she could attest easily because her body responded to him and only him, she found many men attractive of course, but none of them made her lose her mind the way the Hamilton did. But now she was seeing the other side of that title, which was his possessiveness, as Seekvaria had said that while he wouldn't care if you sleep with someone else, he did cared when somebody came sniffing into his territory, his women included, and like any other dragon, he felt the need to not only remind his women but the other men as well, that he was the only Alpha around, and that they were HIS mates.

She shivered a little as she felt a little bit of his possessiveness when he stood up and brought a hand to her ass, uncaring of anyone seeing, "W-Well…" Rias struggled for a moment before she regained her strength, kissing his shoulder before she said, "The guy was bothering us all night long, begging her for a dance, I guess she thought that giving him the dance would stop his moves, but I'm not quite sure if it was a good idea."

Derek sipped the rest of his beverage, turning around and walking towards the table, leaving the glass on it and making his way out, Rias stopping him, asking, "W-Where are you going?"

Rias shivered delightedly when he looked at her, that possessive glint still in his eyes when he replied, "I'm tired of that fake smile of hers and her depression…" He started walking again, his friends gulping as they hoped that the heir won't do anything drastic, "If they don't belong to this group, they're not allowed to walk inside here, not even if they are the fricking President of the USA, understood?…" He ordered the two guards who nodded with a gulp, feeling the pressure coming off from Derek, "These women and men came with me, no one else, if someone gets stubborn, than call for Xuelan and tell her that she has my permission to deal with them harshly, no matter who they are."

He didn't looked at the guards who immediately nodded, knowing that they will make sure that no other idiot will walk into his private zone and try to get lucky with his people.

 ** _"_** ** _You feel her calling for you."_** Ddraig's powerful voice resounded inside his mind as he walked towards the blackette priestess.

Derek narrowed his eyes, confused, the people around him moving away from him as if sensing his sour mood, _"What do you mean?"_ He questioned his other self.

Ddraig chuckled, amused, explaining moments after, **_"The Crow, she's subconsciously calling for your attention, since you already see her as yours, your dragon instincts are making you act rashly and assert her of your commitment, that is why you are feeling so possessive over our mates all of a sudden."_**

Derek tsked, annoyed at himself for watering down so much from the cold bastard he used to be, he was starting to care for too many people these days, he didn't liked it one bit, "Akeno…" He spoke, despite the loud music, his voice still carried a divine volume, the blackette immediately focusing on him as well as the guy, seemingly annoyed before he realised who he was, "Let's go."

Akeno didn't know what to feel, she wasn't having fun with this guy but he served to keep her mind away from the silverette who has been haunting her dreams ever since he kissed her. She knew that he had claimed her that day and it depressed her that she had ruined it with her own reluctance, it has been affecting her ever since. But she could do naught to stop her body from responding to Derek, her head nodding slightly, not capable of saying anything to the silverette.

"H-Hey…" The guy was about to get bold with the Hamilton but immediately silenced when the blue-eyed male looked at him, the guy shutting up immediately and hastily making his way back to his group, not wanting to be in the Hamilton's imposing presence anymore.

Akeno blushed when Derek grabbed her hand and started leading her away from the crowd, her heart beating at dangerous speeds when he took her towards the restricted area of the club, where his office was, "D-Derek?…" She whispered, confused and excited at the same, walking after the Hamilton and looking at him as he closed the door of his office, locking it.

The Himejima female shivered when he pushed her to the desk, her butt landing on the surface, her arms gripping his jacket tightly, her eyes wide and teary before she gasped when he claimed her lips, fiercely, forcefully, touching her, eliciting a moan from her, incapable of resist these intense feelings he produced in her.

"I'm sick of this game…" Derek started saying after he broke the kiss, Akeno looking at him, flushed, struggling to regain her bearings, "I'm sick of your frown, of your pout, of your downed mood, of your depression, I'm sick of it."

Akeno widened her eyes, her heart beating harshly as she managed to somehow understand what he was trying to say. He wasn't sick of her, he was worried, he didn't liked to see her like this because, _'I-I'm… h-his…'_ She thought, incapable of stopping her small smile from showing, happiness filling her as she realised that she didn't messed up back then, he was just giving her time. But she knew that she had to be careful now, if she pushed him too much, he would try to get some distance, so she just gripped his jacket tightly, leaning on and kissing his neck, whispering after, "I-I… I a-am tired too."

Derek frowned, not even capable of recognising himself right now, he was being incredibly tender and he didn't even know if he hated it or not, "So are you ready to grow stronger now?"

Akeno smirked a little, her face buried on his neck, knowing that the real question he was asking was if she was ready to open up to him, but he had to find a way to make himself sound as detached as possible, "Y-Yes…" She whispered, leaning back a little and taking a deep breath, her life story suddenly escaping her lips easier than what she'd thought, though she could say that having him holding her back and pushing his body on hers was certainly helping, "… a-and that's my story." She had finished telling him everything, who her father was, how her mother died and what happened after her murder.

Derek sighed, looking at the window of his office for a moment before he said, "You're an idiot…" He knew that Akeno was confused and hurt, but kept going, "For placing the blame on your father and for allowing your family to get under your skin."

"D-De…" Akeno wanted to say, tears threatening to fall due to his hard tone but was unable to speak as he silenced her.

"Let me finish…" Akeno nodded, Derek subconsciously tightening his hold on her, continuing, "Baraqiel didn't let your mother die, Akeno, your uncle just hit at the right moment, I'm sure that had your father been there, he would've do everything in his power to stop it and you know it…" Akeno lowered her gaze, tears falling as he continued, "You also have to respect your mother a little more…" Akeno looked back at him, tilting her head confused, so he explained, "She loved your father dearly, right? That means that she knew well all the risks of being with him and she still went with it, unwavered, that kind of determination and love can only be admired, from both sides."

Akeno widened her eyes, her mouth opening slightly since she hadn't seen it that way, ever. She had always felt resentment towards her father but never hate, she knew well it wasn't his fault. But the other thing that Derek just said, about her mother, it definitely hit home.

"And as for your family, forget about those fuckers, you have the potential to be great and they let their bigotry get the better of them, don't let the words of a fool bring you down, focus on the words of those who've walked the path before you, they are the only ones that truly know how it works and what it takes." Derek finished, his voice resolute and his eyes bored in her.

Akeno could only look at Derek in awe, she was still hurt by his harshness but she knew that it was just the way he was, he couldn't help it. But even so, he had no idea how much his words meant to her, his encouragement, however masked with coldness it might be, she could see it so clearly now, the things he really meant to say below all of those harsh remarks.

She just kissed him like there was no tomorrow.

The pair kissed for a while, Akeno pouring all of the pent up feelings she's been trying to keep to herself, knowing that she still had some road to walk in order to cement her place in his heart, but just like Rias and all of those that'll come, she was not going to stop until she can finally lay her claim on him.

"A-Are…" She started whispering once they broke the kiss, gripping his jacket still while her legs parted a little, reluctantly adding with her gaze down, coyness filling her voice, "A-Are you going to…" She couldn't finish her sentence out of sheer embarrassment, and perhaps anticipation.

Derek snorted, patting the blackette's head as he said, "No Akeno, I'm not taking your virginity tonight…" Akeno didn't really know whether she was relieved or angry, but Derek continued, "You still need to make sure that you want me to be your first, once you are completely sure…" He grabbed her chin, tilting her head while he lowered his, his lips next to her ear as he whispered huskily, "I will show you a world you will no longer be able to live without."

Satan, God, Buddha, Allah, Odin, Zeus, Great Red, all of them gods, damn this arrogant, bastard, beautiful and amazing man. Akeno's body was seconds away from making the decision for herself after such incredible whisper, she couldn't even understand how hot and bothered it made her. But she managed to qualm her lust, knowing that Derek was not going to have sex with her tonight, not until she had finally regained her usual self, "O-Okay…" She just whispered, her bountiful chest upping and downing along with her ragged breathing, struggling to compose herself again.

Derek snickered a little before he stiffened, feeling a presence calling for his attention. So he focused back on Akeno, saying, "You should go back to Rias, she and everyone else were worried for you."

Akeno shook her head, her composure now back, asking while tilting her head and standing up, "W-What about you?"

Derek sighed, replying, "There is something I got to check, I won't take long."

Akeno seemed to hesitate for a moment, ultimately accepting his words and making her way towards the door, stopping for a second, confusing Derek until she sneaked a chaste kiss on him, a shy blush on her face while she ran away giggling.

Derek just snorted, incapable of not feeling relieved to see that Akeno seemed to be regaining her wits. But he focused back on the now, sighing and fixing his hair, closing his eyes for a moment before he walked towards the door and left his office, turning to the stairs to the roof while he whispered to himself, "When will she stop?"

* * *

Derek reached the roof, sighing once he saw a figure hovering above the floor looking around expectative before she finally saw him, her innocent wide eyes lighting up before she floated towards him, saying happily, "There you are!"

Derek continued walking until he reached the edge of the roof, leaning against the border of the wall and sighing, his eyes closed as he inquired, "What are you doing here?"

The woman finally touched ground, Derek observing here with a critical eye. She was a beauty that could rival Grayfia with ease, her long curly blond hair, her extremely voluptuous body covered by a light set of armour, her wide and innocent blue eyes that despite his best efforts, were always capable of easing his broken heart. She just walked towards him, standing before the male and tilting her head, a little pout on her incredible face as she said, a finger on her lips, "You weren't in our usual meeting spot…" She tilted her head to the other side, adding, "I got worried and tracked your signature…" She then looked down at the floor, asking later, "This place is yours, correct?…" The male nodded, the woman frowning a little before she whined, "Why would you own a place that indulges in the sins of mortals?"

Derek snorted, looking at his side when he replied dryly, "I've committed more sins that most demons even dream of…" He looked at the woman then, adding, "I think it suits me well, a place like this."

The woman frowned, grabbing a hold of his hand, caressing it tenderly, saying innocently, "You'll be alright, we'll put you back in one piece."

Derek growled, angry, not at her though, at himself, "Why do you keep doing this, Gabriel?…" He looked at the side, taking his hand away from one of the Great Four Seraphs, a woman capable of going toe to toe against a Satan-class devil, "You've been doing this for over two years now, what I did will never be erased, so why are you so fixated on me?" It really frustrated him.

Gabriel tilted her head again, confused, walking to stand beside the Hamilton, replying, "I want to help you."

It was a simple answer, but goddamn did it boiled Derek's blood, he knew that she was being completely honest, there was no ulterior motive, she just genuinely wanted to help him. Gabriel had appeared before him a month after he destroyed Somalia, he knew that such event would attract powerful entities, but he never thought that the one to approach him, would be the kindest heart in the whole world, a woman who saw through him and was able to see his pain, his real suffering. She has been trying to help him 'mend the pieces' she says, convincing him to meet her once a month to just talk, he didn't really knew why he accepted, but it infuriated him.

It angered him because the mere thought of corrupting this magnificent treasure of untold value disgusted him. Gabriel was a gift, a gift that no one deserved, there was no being kinder, gentler and precious than her, in a world were monsters like him abounded, she was the powerful light that guided those worthy through the night, the night he fought so viciously in, the darkness he has taken into his heart so that no one else would have to. This woman's heart, Gabriel's precious self, was one of the things that Derek genuinely considered a true Wonder, not like the Pyramids, the Eiffel Tower, the Big Ben, no, this woman was a true Wonder that he felt as his utmost responsibility to protect, to ensure that she would never walk the path of darkness, he could not allow that those who were the true heroes, walked this path.

But alas, the woman was relentless. He has tried, many times to push her away, desperately trying to keep her away from his monstrous heart, his unforgivable sins, the part of himself that even the most vicious of demons would whimper in fright at his mere presence. He even tried to have Michael, Heaven's leader and Gabriel's brother, to stop her from seeing him, but not even the Archangel was capable of stopping her, she was as stubborn as she was gentle. The thing that annoyed him the most was that he doubted that she was in love with him or that she felt attraction, he doubted she even knew what those things were, the woman was simply too naïve, too innocent for that, that's what made her so precious, she was just genuinely trying to help him.

"Also…" Gabriel's voice broke him from his self-admonishing, making him turn to face her right on those big lovely eyes of hers as she continued, innocently, "I d-don't know but… i-it hurts…" She grabbed a hand of his, there was no romantic aura to her actions, no ulterior motive, just genuine worry and pain, "I want t-to see you smile… it h-hurts that you don't."

May Great Red always kept this beautiful treasure intact. He would smile at her if he could, he would hold her close to him and whisper soothing words to her if he really could, but he couldn't, he didn't had the luxury of being a hero.

There was a general misconception, people praised heroes because usually, they ended up saving the day, kicking the villain's ass and saving the world from its annihilation. But what people failed to realise, or maybe just plainly decided to ignore, was that the hero could do absolutely naught without those who dared to walk in the night of life. The hero could retain their goodwill, their light, because there were fools, brave fools who walked the path of darkness, who held the monsters of it back, turning into monsters themselves. But those fools did so willingly, because their efforts, while not even remembered, were the key to keep the hero's nature safe, to allow the hero to finish the job. That was his role, Derek was not here to save the world, he was here to keep the darkness at bay, to embrace it and make it his own, to shield his people from it so that they could eventually be able to save the world, with their hearts intact.

He was a fool at heart.

"You should stop…" The Hamilton whispered, not capable of looking at the woman that even reminded him of his lovely mother, a woman who Derek greatly missed, "I will only continue to cause you pain, Gabriel, you deserve so much better than this, I am a lost cause, I don't want to be mended, I am fine as I am." It was a lie of course, but he already made his choice a long while ago.

Gabriel didn't spoke for some moments, making Derek turn to see her, the Hamilton cursing himself when he saw that the innocent woman was sobbing quietly, probably feeling the momentary weakness he just had.

 _'_ _Sigh… Just… this once…'_ Derek thought to himself, turning his body to face hers, grabbing the woman's face gently while tenderly wiping her tears away, Gabriel looking at him with wide warm and welcoming eyes, the woman gasping when she saw something she started to believe she'll never see.

Derek actually smiled at her.

Both knew that it was fake, Derek didn't had the genuine will to flash an honest smile, he just couldn't, but this woman deserved to see at least a fake one, if just to fool herself for this moment.

Gabriel for her part wasn't as oblivious as people thought she was, she knew that he was doing this for her sake, to try and get rid of her sadness. It worked, but not for his smile, no, it worked because Gabriel could see, in this incredibly small moment, that the boy that caught her eye, the one that she thought was a real hero, could still be redeemed, she just knew it.

"It'll be alright." Derek whispered, bringing her close to him, Gabriel grasping his jacket tightly while she rested her cheek on his chest, eyes closed, small happy smile on her face.

It was refreshing for the Hamilton to have this sort of moments with someone who didn't felt romantically towards him, though he couldn't really confirm that, the woman was simply too innocent to differentiate emotions, she just felt. Bu she did shared something with his mates, somehow, despite his greatest efforts, they never stopped trying to pull him back into the light, no matter how vicious he got, they wouldn't relent and that, was one of the very few constants of his life that he was not willing to lose.

"I have to get back down there, Gabriel." Derek said, his moment of tenderness gone, his usual cold and cunning self now back at the driving seat, gently releasing the hug.

Gabriel looked at the floor, nodding slightly, whispering, "Will you be t-there next month?"

Derek sighed, tempted to say no, thinking that maybe, the woman was finally going to give up on him. But he knew her well now, she wasn't going to give up, not just yet, perhaps after more sins she would, "Yes."

Gabriel looked up to him, a wide smile on her face, happiness irradiating through her body as if God himself was suddenly announced to still be alive. She just started floating, her white beautiful wings flapping as she said, "Then I'll see you soon! Please be careful and know that my heart is always with you!"

Derek sighed, uneasy by the small smile that threatened to form once he heard those words, turning around as she floated away, quashing the warmth that suddenly appeared in his heart. He just inhaled deeply, recovering his wits, his scary aura, and headed back towards the club, he still had to ensure that no fool was daring to pester his women.

* * *

Derek sighed as he leaned his head back, resting it on the wall behind him. It has been two days since the opening of his nightclub and the night had been, as he expected, a complete success. The club made it into the most important hospitality magazines and blogs, and as of right now, the place already had a waiting list for the VIPs of four months, two of those VIPs being exactly what he was expecting to attract.

But right now he was currently waiting in Luxembourg's airport, wearing a black coat that covered him from his ankles to his chin, a red cap that concealed his identity along with a pair of red shades that covered his blues. He was waiting for the yōkai leader's sister who should've arrived at this moment.

He decided to come and pick her up personally since neither Aleister nor Akio were available at the moment and plus, the woman was the sister of a faction leader, Derek needed to ensure their cooperation as well, so showing up himself will show a little bit of trust.

"S-Sorry." A timid voice attracted his attention towards his front to see a quite good looking tomboyish redhead apologising clumsily to a man, his coffee all over the floor, probably because the woman bumped into him.

Capable of feeling her yōkai aura, Derek stood up and made to walk towards them, just as the man was about to berate her angrily, "It was an accident, take this and get yourself another one." The Hamilton said dryly to the man, handing him some money.

"Y-You think it's…" The man was saying before he froze, shaking as Derek said.

"Get the fuck out of here before you regret it." The Hamilton watched with some amusement as the man gulped and disappeared from sight, sighing after.

"L-Lord H-Hamilton?" Kushina spoke with a whisper, blushing in embarrassment.

Derek turned to look at the woman, nodding and saying, "Kushina Uzumaki, correct?…" The redhead nodded timidly, her hands tightly grasping her small luggage, "Drop the 'Lord' thing by the way, I hate honorifics."

Kushina gulped, nodding and saying reluctantly, "A-As you wish… D-Derek…" She had a little bit of trouble speaking with such intimacy since in her home country, referring to someone by their first name was usually a sign of deep trust and friendship, but she knew that in the west, it was the common way to refer to one another, "I am d-deeply sorry f-for causing y-you trouble from the very start!…" She bowed, deeply regretful for perhaps damaging her chances to be his apprentice already, "I am j-just not u-used to such big environments."

Derek sighed, wanting to lift the woman's head but he knew that in her culture, it was the common way to apologise and it may be rude to dismiss it, so he just shook his head and replied, "It's okay Kushina, you apologised, the guy was the one causing trouble not you, now please, lift your head up."

Kushina blushed while she looked back at the heir, nodding and thanking him for his kindness. She was very nervous right now, this world was completely new to her, she has never set foot outside of Kyoto and even in her city, Kyoto still stayed deeply connected with her culture's roots, the west was such an enormous world where she could see that traditions and culture were at the most, an afterthought.

Derek started walking, Kushina eeping and shaking her head before she started following him, arriving to his car moments later. He opened the door for her, the woman smiling shyly at him before she got in, Derek making his way around and entering in the driver's seat.

He started the car, stirring it towards the exit of the airport and once out, he took away his glasses and pushed his cap a little higher, some strands of his mesmerising grey hair falling over his forehead while his deep blue eyes focused on the front.

Kushina was without a doubt captivated once she could look at the Hamilton without anything covering his face, he was unfairly handsome, she knew she was blushing and timidly twiddling her thumbs, trying to not look at the man. Despite the darkness she could feel from his aura, which in her honest opinion was one of the most terrifying she has ever felt, there was something in it, something deep within it that drew her, woo her, intoxicated her even, and she knew that it didn't had anything to do with him being a dragon, there was just something else in him that she just couldn't put a finger on.

"So…" Derek's voice won her attention again, the redhead shaking her head before she focused on the heir as he said, his eyes focused on the road, "Are you my new sex toy?" He knew that with his smirk, he looked like a total jerk, but he needed to know this woman's intentions, he knew that Yasaka required his aid but he wanted to see how far she was willing to go.

Kushina blushed before she leaned away, afraid all of a sudden as she stuttered, "N-N-No! I-I…" She struggled, not expecting this at all, "I a-am here to l-learn! N-Not to be… y-your s-se… s-s-sex toy!"

Derek's smirk widened, chuckling a little as he said to the confused woman, "Good, I may listen to your sister then after all."

Kushina was incredibly confused. One moment he seemed like an evil man ready to have his way with her, whether she approved of it or not, but the other he was completely relaxed and amicable even. But she then remembered something that his fiancée warned her about before she came here, she told her that the Hamilton despised to be played with and for his question, she could see that he wanted to test what she was willing to do, or what she was being forced to do in case that was the situation. She didn't know what would've had happened if she answered something like 'If it is what you wish, then yes', he would probably be mad as hell.

"S-So, y-you know?" She asked, still surprised that he apparently knew about Yasaka's reasons.

Derek nodded, replying, "Seekvaria is my fiancée, did you thought she would keep a detail away from me?…" Kushina understood, Derek continuing, "I honestly don't care about Yasaka's problem, but we'll see what happens in the future."

Kushina winced, gulping at the dry dismissive from the Hamilton. But she controlled herself, Seekvaria herself had warned them that Derek would take time to come around them, she explicitly let them know that he was no hero. Yasaka only told her to do her best and try to prove him that they were worthy, that Yasaka was worthy of getting to know and perhaps, just perhaps, that she herself was worthy as well.

"T-Then…" The redhead started saying, uncertain, "Y-You won't… t-take me as an a-apprentice?" She couldn't stop her depressed tone though, she has seen his fight and she could feel his raw aura, it was suffocating, she wanted to learn from him, she wanted to be strong like him.

Derek sighed, saying, "Right now, no…" He knew the woman was almost tearing up, so he quickly added, "You first have to be acknowledged by Aleister and Akio, they are not my apprentices but I did taught them some things…" He finally stopped the car right before the Academy, stating once they got out of the vehicle, "Train with them and if you impress them, then I will take you in as my apprentice."

Kushina's eyes completely turned after those words, a fire burning in them when she said determined, "I w-will, you'll see, 'ttebane!" She blushed though and covered her mouth after her sudden outburst, her face a furious red of embarrassment.

Derek actually laughed a little, he didn't expected the pretty woman to be so amusing, "I'll wait for it then."

Kushina shook her head and quickly fell into step with the one she hoped will soon become her master, looking around at the beautiful structures of the place as she inquired, "W-Where are we g-going, M-M… I mean!… D-Derek?"

"I originally wanted to take you to your new home so that you could rest…" He walked into the old building of the Academy, making his way towards the ORC, adding, "But Rias needs me for some emergency, so we'll see what's about first."

Kushina nodded and fell quiet, meekly walking behind the Hamilton while she surveyed her new surroundings.

Derek finally reached the door to the ORC, opening it without knocking and walking inside, seeing Rias immediately looking at him as he said, "What is it, Ri…"

His voice died however, when a gasp was heard and a voice he hasn't heard in at least twelve years whispered, unbelieving, "D-D-Dek!?…"

Derek cursed himself, there were only two people that called him like that, his cousin Emily and, "Irina." He whispered, defeated, knowing that he was about to get a mouthful from the brunette he considered his best friend back when they were kids, he did abandoned her after all, _'Fucking luck of mine…'_

* * *

 **A/N: There ya lads go, I hope it was to your liking! Now, before I forget, I've updated my profile pic so you guys can see how would Derek look for real in an anime, I made it myself as it turns out I'm not so bad with drawing in PS. The image is pat of a project I'm currently working on, the one keeping me so busy, but I'll let you guys know when I release it, I assure you will like. So see ya lads later and cheers!**


	9. Paint It Black

**A/N: Yo waddup! We're back with another chapter! Some things before we begin.**

 **There are a couple of contradiction in this chapter, as well as thinks that will make you scratch your head. Before you say anything, let me explain that since this a political fic as well, I am not going to explain everything that Derek or the other top guys do behind the scenes, they will either get resolved in time or you will have to figure out what they are doing yourselves. I am trying my best to portray the differences between being someone like Issei (Cannon fodder) and Derek (Head Honcho), mainly the completely different game that the top branch play between each other, since they barely engage one another in a brawl, I think that it's clear that the ones at the top, have very secrete and shady games, that's what I'm trying to convey here.**

 **I apologise in a advance if this chapter seems a little lacking, mainly in the fights, but I have contracted the terror known to mankind, as 'Man flu', and I literally want to die at this very moment, so pardon my slight lack of attention.**

 **There's more to say at the end of the chapter, so be sure to read that.**

 **Let's get on with it then.**

"Derek" - Normal Speech.

 _'Derek'_ \- Thought.

 _"Derek"_ \- Derek mentally speaking.

 **"Ddraig"** \- Ddraig/Albion speaking through the Sacred Gears/Divinities talking.

 _ **"Ddraig"**_ \- Ddraig speaking inside Derek's mind.

* * *

 **Paint It Black**

 _"Hey, pig-tails." A chubby black-haired boy wearing a royal blue and white school uniform said to a girl of equal age who was timidly sitting under the shade of a tree, a small sandwich in her right hand and a bottle of juice on the other. The boy seemed like a typical bully, wearing a smug smirk as he and his friends surrounded the girl, all of them looking at her with arrogant smirks._

 _"Y-Yes?" The girl replied timidly as she eyed the four boys and two girls that surrounded her, gulping, afraid of what they might do to her. The little girl had chestnut coloured hair, mesmerising and tender violet eyes, wearing the same school uniform, only the female version of it._

 _Irina Shidō knew that something like this might happen. She was the newly arrived student, so bullies were sure to introduce to her. The little eight year old dreaded this day, leaving Japan due to her father's work was tough, having to leave her life in her home country all of a sudden. While she might be an outgoing person and had a talent with making new friends, things were different when her father enrolled her in Garden House School, one of London's most prestigious schools, attended by the children of the most powerful and richest families of the country. She had no idea how her father managed to enrol her here since they were a regular middle-class family, her father was a priest, he shouldn't be able to afford her tuition, but here she was. The problem though, was that everybody by now knew that she was a commoner, so she was dreading that they will look down on her and treat her rudely, just like now._

 _The boy that spoke leaned on her, his smug smirk still in place as he pulled one of her pig tails, saying, "Didn't you said that you were Asian?"_

 _Irina gulped, her eyes tearing up as she replied, "Y-Yes… I… I a-am from J-Japan…" Her voice was tiny, her English still a little broken._

 _"You don't look like one." One of the girls said, crossing her arms in a petulant manner._

 _"Yeah, maybe you're lying…" Another boy added, saying later with a cruel smile, "Wouldn't put it past you, filthy commoner."_

 _Irina whimpered as the group started to laugh at her, the boy taking her sandwich and throwing it to the ground. Her pig tails were about to be pulled violently by one of them but suddenly, a football hit the back of the boy's head, surprising Irina when she saw that the bully had apparently lost consciousness due to the hit._

 _"Is this what you do in your free time?…" A strangely commanding voice resounded behind the group, Irina seeing how everyone stiffened when they heard it, the bullies turning to look at the newcomer, allowing Irina to see the cute silver-haired boy who looked at them with bored eyes, "Bother new students?" He asked them, crossing his arms._

 _"L-L-Lord Derek!" One of the girls squealed with a massive blush, though she was shivering in fright as well._

 _"H-Hey… H-Hamilton…" The lead bully stuttered, scratching the back of his scruff as he added, "Y-You shouldn't b-bother with this girl!… s-she's… umm… d-different…"_

 _Derek raised an eyebrow, walking towards the group, looking at the scared little girl who flinched under his gaze. The boy's blues focused back on the bullies, saying, "Really now?…" The bully nodded nervously, the rest of his friends gulping as Derek's eyes narrowed. Everyone then was shocked when Derek's fist landed on the bully's face, the boy falling to the ground, whimpering as he brought a palm to his mouth, a trail of blood there while Derek crossed his arms again and said, "For what I can see, you and I bleed red…" He looked at the Japanese girl, adding, "I bet she bleeds the same, right? So how is she any different?"_

 _Neither of the bullies moved or opened their mouths, all of them shivering as the young royal boy stood there, impassively. They all knew by now that he was exempt of the rules, being part of the royal family meant that you had a lot of leeway. Besides, he was the most feared boy in the school, despite being usually reserved and only focused on football, he has severely kicked everyone's asses whenever someone tried to bully him, nowadays, everybody just stayed away from his path._

 _Seeing that the bullies were scared shitless of him, Derek just narrowed his eyes and ordered, "Give the girl all of your money, you owe her lunch…" The bullies quickly did as told and gave the stupefied Irina all of their quid, looking back at the Hamilton as he added, "Now scramble away, if I see you bothering her again, I'll just remind you how equal we are."_

 _The bullies nodded with wide eyes and immediately did as told, scurrying towards the other side of the playground, the bleeding bully with tears in his eyes._

 _Irina could only look at the situation with wide teary and stupefied eyes, shocked to what just occurred. She was about to get beaten and one second later, this cute boy had rescued her, like in those stories her mother reads her before sleep._

 _"You okay, girl?" The boy's voice brought Irina back from her pondering._

 _Irina just shook her head, blushing while looking down, her eyes wandering timidly towards him to reply, "Y-Yes… t-thank y-you…"_

 _Derek just nodded and then played with the football, kicking it a few times before he caught it with his hand, saying, "Alright then, see you later."_

 _Irina didn't wanted to be away from him after he just saved her, so she hastily screamed, "W-Wait!…" She blushed again when the boy looked back at her, his eyebrow raised, waiting for her to continue. Irina struggled to find words again, but managed to sputter, "I-I… I d-don't have a-any friends… s-so…" She looked at him, her fingers twiddling while her eyes watered cutely, "C-Could you… be m-my… f-friend?"_

 _Derek sighed after hearing that, his intention was never to befriend the really cute girl, he was a loner and he liked it that way. But the girl had something that attracted him, he guessed that it was her resemblance to his mother, but he felt like he could trust this girl. So having nothing to lose, he just shrugged and replied, "Why not." Irina beamed and stood up, running towards him to catch up._

 _"I-I'm Irina Shidō!" The girl said happily, her cheerful attitude now back at full force, excited to have her very first friend in this new country._

 _Derek just snorted, his football bouncing up and down on his hand while he replied, "Derek Hamilton."_

 _Irina smiled wider after now learning his name and with that, she practically shadowed him for the rest of the day and after that day, shadowing him for the rest of their childhood. Though, it didn't bothered the Hamilton at all, he strangely felt very attached to the cheerful young lady, despite the unlikely friendship, it was one of the most important bonds the two of them had before their abrupt separation, one that broke Irina's heart._

* * *

"D-Derek?" Irina muttered as she stood up, shakily, confusing everyone in the room after seeing the exorcist that just moments ago was acting so cheerfully and carefree, was now tearing up and shaking in disbelief, approaching the Hamilton heir with baby steps.

Derek waved his hand to the devils and Ghosts inside the room when he saw them tense, silently telling them that there was nothing to worry about, "Irina." He muttered with a sigh, a very small tug of his lips as the woman reached him and placed both hands on his chest, looking him up and down with wide eyes and wide mouth, almost as if believing him to be a ghost.

"A-Are you real?…" Irina whispered, praying to the lord that the one man she has been searching for years was not an illusion, that he was right here with her right now, "I-Is it r-really you?" She added, uncaring of the weird looks her own partners were giving her.

Derek sighed, allowing a small smile to show on his face as he brought a hand on top of Irina's head, patting it while replying, "Yes Irina, it really is me."

Irina couldn't hold her tears back anymore and lunged herself at him, encircling in his arms, Derek surprised to see the strength she was putting on the hold, as if making sure that he was not going to disappear this time.

"O-Oh Dek…" Irina whispered, a huge smile on her face while tears cascaded down her cheeks, adding lovingly, "It r-really is you… a-after so long… y-you're here… f-finally… t-thank God…"

Feeling incredibly confused by everything that was going on, Rias shook her head and inquired, her head tilted as she eyed her lover, "Umm Derek?…" The male looked at her, prompting the Gremory heiress to continue, "You know her?"

"Yes Irina…" A blue-haired female wearing a similar robe to that of Irina added, her eyes confused as she inquired, "What is going on?"

Irina remained in Derek's chest for some moments, finally separating from him, albeit reluctantly. She turned to look at everyone in the room, smiling with eyes still teary, replying, "Yup! We're childhood friends!"

The third church agent in the room, a quite beautiful blonde woman with blue eyes wearing a nun outfit, face gentle but Derek could tell that she was a formidable opponent, probably the mentor of Irina and the other exorcist, said with a small smile, "Ah, so this is the young man you've been looking for, huh?"

Irina smiled and grabbed Derek's hand, stating happily, "Yes, Sister Griselda, this is him, Derek Hamilton…" She looked at Derek then, wiping her eyes before she muttered, "That reminds me…" Everyone got confused by the sudden change of demeanour coming off from the girl, but then were shocked when she suddenly planted a kiss on Derek, the boy himself lifting an eyebrow, sort of surprised and amused, before she broke the kiss, surprising them again when she gritted her teeth and slapped him hard, screaming, "WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, DEREK HAMILTON!? HAVE YOU ANY IDEA HOW MUCH YOU HURT ME!?"

Derek stopped Kushina from lashing out at Irina, placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking his head. The Uzumaki relented, though reluctantly, but Derek only sighed, surprised that the slap actually hurt. He faced the angry and hurt Irina then, the room silent as he spoke, "I know and I am… sorry… for hurting you…" Those who knew him were quite shocked to hear him saying that, as it was a first that he actually apologised for anything in the open, "But I am not sorry for disappearing, I had my reasons and that's all you need to know, Irina."

Irina flinched, she remembered that Derek was usually cold and reserved, but damn, he got worse as the years went by apparently, "I-I…" She was saying before she was interrupted.

"Irina, I know you want to catch up…" Griselda said, her gentle smile still in place but her aura was now commanding, continuing, "But we're in the middle of something important, so please, let us speak with Mr Hamilton."

Irina seemed to be ready to retort but Derek nudged her to go back to the seat, the brunette exorcist sighing and muttering a weak 'okay' when she did as told.

Derek followed suit, observing everyone in the room, with Rias and Sona sitting in one couch while Rias' peerage, Tsubaki, Aleister and Akio, all were behind the devil heiresses, standing at the ready in case any conflict arises. Kushina just timidly walked to stand beside Akio, not knowing what to do so she just stayed silent.

Derek walked towards the desk, declining sitting on the couch and instead, leaned on the surface of the wood, laidback, crossing his arms as he narrowed his eyes when he sensed the hostility coming off from Michael, already aware of the boy's previous history as a Holy Sword Project survivor. Silently ordering Akio and Aleister to be wary of the blond knight, the agents nodding, he looked at the three exorcists and asked, "You wished to talk to me, correct?…" Griselda nodded, prompting him to add, "Well, what is it that you need from me? Three exorcists in devil's territory doesn't really bodes well."

Griselda nodded, taking particular care in which words to use since the Hamilton was one of those the higher-ups in the church told her to be careful with, as he was the one that held absolute authority in Luxembourg, despite it being 'devil territory'. Ultimately nowadays, the devils, angels and fallen angels, really lend the territories from the humans, who allowed them to do their thing as long as they didn't break the law.

Once she found the right words, the exorcist began, "Yes, Mr Hamilton…" She gestured Rias and Sona, saying, "I have already explained the situation to Ms Gremory and Ms Sitri here, but ultimately, the one we have to discuss with, is you."

Derek nodded, stating, "You are correct…" He tilted his head, adding uncaringly, "I assume you are here to ask for my permission to search for Kokabiel and the Holy Swords he stole?"

Everyone but the humans widened their eyes at hearing that, though Rias kind of saw it coming, she had already came to terms with the fact that her lover knew everything that went on his territory. It still raised her eyebrow though.

The church contingent were shocked to hear him saying that, though Griselda considered that perhaps, the church had informed him beforehand, "Y-Yes, that is exactly what we're here to discuss…" The leader of the Church trio said, adding after, "I t-take it you were informed by my higher-ups then?"

They were confused when Derek shook his head, explaining, "No, I know about it for two reasons…" He narrowed his blues at the blonde, saying, "One, we, the government, know everything that happens in our territory, if we don't intervene in certain matters, is because they have to happen…" He then leaned back, finishing, "And two, because I've already had contact with Kokabiel long ago."

That got a reaction of them all, except Derek's teammates, with Rias sputtering, "D-Derek? W-When?"

Derek sighed, replying, "Almost three years ago, that Somalia event you've all heard so much about?…" They nodded, including the Church's group since they've heard of the country's annihilation as well, "It happened because of him."

The room fell silent after that, with Sona asking the Hamilton, "C-Can you explain?"

Seeing that everyone was confused, Derek just sighed again, deciding to just retell the event so that they would understand, "Three years ago, two of my subordinates, Luis and Niko, betrayed me, Akio here decided to follow them too…" The blackette in question just winced as all eyes landed on her, with the Hamilton continuing, "The three of them kidnapped Alice, my sister, and took her to Somalia, where Kokabiel had a base with his followers, protected by the Urubu, a dangerous militia formed of African extremists."

"Wait a minute!…" Irina screamed, her eyes burning up with anger as she observed the woman named Akio, stating, "You kidnapped Ali!?"

Before she could do anything though, Derek stated with a commanding growl, "Stand down, Irina…" The brunette didn't know why but immediately did as told, listening as the Hamilton continued, "Things weren't as straightforward as they seem…" He looked at Akio who had her gaze down, returning to his tale then, "But anyways, I went after them and rescued Alice, I killed Luis and Niko, but spared Akio due to certain circumstances…" He then walked towards a small table where a bottle of whisky was placed, Rias knowing that her lover enjoyed the drink, so she now kept a bottle of his favourite in case he ever wanted some, "After that, Kokabiel showed up and revealed himself as the culprit."

"Why would he do that?" Griselda inquired, intently listening to the tale, there was a lot of unanswered questions left after the destruction of the African country that left everybody confused.

Derek shrugged, sipping his liquor before he answered, "He wanted to push for war…" Seeing their surprise, the British royal continued, "It's the very thing he's after right now, back then, he thought that if he kidnapped the granddaughter of the most powerful man in the world, Humanity will immediately retaliate and declare war against the supernatural world."

"And why didn't you?…" Sona commented, adding another question, "It's something I've been asking myself since the Fallen Angel incident you had some months ago, why didn't you retaliated back then?"

"You need to understand something…" Derek began, drinking more of his whisky before he continued, "The game that people like me, the so called 'higher-ups', play is very different to the one that people like you, the so called 'cannon fodder', play…" They winced at the bluntness but didn't retorted, he was speaking the truth after all, "Everything is a game of chess and every move is thought out for the future, you may think that the normal course of action would be to accept Kokabiel's declaration of war, and if we wouldn't have gained anything from the event, we would have declared war, but we did gained something, just like I gained something from the Fallen Angel incident involving Asia."

"What?" Rias asked her lover, the room was immensely tense, but it was mostly because everyone was feeling so inferior to Derek. There was genuinely a huge difference between the people that gave the orders and the ones that carried them out.

"Back then, the fear I instilled in Africa, gave us an opportunity to destabilise the continent and place Villetta Nu as its leader, someone my grandfather's been grooming since he heard of her abilities, she rose to the throne and took control of Africa, thus, we control it now…" Derek drank the rest of the whisky in his glass, adding, "As for what I gained from the Fallen Angel incident that was enough to stop a war declaration…" He focused on a free space in the room and clicked his fingers, the people in the room tensing as a silver glow showered the room, covering their eyes until they opened them again and went shocked as two women appeared after the glow, with Derek commenting, "Agents, that's what we won."

"Master." The two forms of Raynare and Kalawarner bowed as they greeted their leash. While on the outside they were calm and collected, on the inside they were tense and nervous, being surrounded by devils and exorcists carrying Holy Swords was not a pleasant feeling, but they at least knew that Derek wouldn't let anything bad happen to them.

"W-What the…" Rias muttered, shocked as she observed the two Fallen Angels.

"Fowl creature!" The blue-haired exorcist screeched as she branded her sword, aiming to injure the Fallen.

Derek only nodded at Akio who moved like a flash, placing the bluenette in a vice grip, shocking everyone, especially the Church agents, since they never saw the woman act, "There will be no trouble inside this room…" Derek spoke with such commanding tone that made everyone shiver, the Hamilton adding as he observed Griselda intently, "Am I understood?"

Griselda nodded and turned to her charge, stating, "Xenovia, b-behave."

The now identified Xenovia couldn't even move due to the immense strength the lean blackette had on her, observing as she only looked at the Hamilton and once he nodded at her, the human let her go, walking back towards her corner with an amused smirk on her face, leaving Xenovia confused and angry as she sat back on the couch.

"Anyone else wants to do something stupid?…" Nobody uttered a word at Derek's inquiry, shying away from his intense gaze as he continued, "As some of you already know, these two here, are Raynare and Kalawarner…" The two in question only gulped but nodded in greeting, not really knowing what was going on, "While they made a mistake with Asia here…" The blonde in question only shied away, hiding behind Aleister as Derek continued, "They and her comrades were being manipulated by Kokabiel, once again, using them to try and restart the war."

Sona fixed her glasses, incredibly irritated by once again being outdone by the silverette, it was becoming too much of a regular occurrence and she didn't liked it one bit, "B-But how did you managed to turn them on your side?…" She eyed the two Fallen Angels who so far stood diligently, at the ready for when they were needed, "They look quiet… obedient." The Sitri heiress added.

"I have my ways…" Was all Derek said before he focused back on the two Fallen and inquired, "Now, Raynare and Kalawarner…" Both women stood ready for anything, listening as their master asked, "What's the update on Kokabiel?"

Raynare nodded and spoke, focusing on her master so that nervousness wouldn't claim her, "Y-Yes Master, for what we've g-gathered, Lord Azazel hasn't had any contact with Kokabiel for a couple of months."

Kalawarner then added, "Lord Azazel sent people t-to look for him, but so far, there's nothing, no trail of him."

"So he has gone rogue?" Griselda inquired, knowing that while she couldn't fully trust the word of her enemies, she could trust Derek Hamilton, as there wasn't really a reason for him to lie. This was his territory and as far as she knew, a couple of the women in the room, including the Gremory heiress, were his mates, so she doubted he would put them on a peril.

"Yes." Raynare replied dryly.

"But how can Azazel lost control of one of his Cadres?" Griselda muttered her question, the two Fallen only shrugging, not really knowing either.

Derek knew why, though, he did not commented on it as it may ruin it and he agreed with the Governor's plan. So turning the focus to somewhere else, he asked Griselda, "Has the Church recovered any of the three Excalibur in Kokabiel's possession?"

Griselda and her charges all widened their eyes when they heard that, the rest of the devils also feeling surprised when the lead exorcist said, "What do you mean by 'three'?…" She eyed her two companions, stating as she pointed at them, "The Church only has Mimic and Destruction, Kokabiel is supposed to have the other five!"

Derek only shook his head, disapprovingly as he stated, "So the Church sent you to die without even telling you the truth, huh?…" Everybody felt confused by that, with Derek continuing, "Kokabiel, as far as I remember, only has Rapidly, Transparency and Blessing."

Griselda stood up, extremely confused by the man's words, "P-Please, explain, what do you mean with your words? Where are Nightmare and Ruler!?" She knew that something was off with the information they were given in the Vatican from the get go, she felt as if there was something they were keeping from them. Hearing the Hamilton, who belonged to the upper level of clearance, telling her all of this, made her fears come true.

Derek sighed, replying, "Ruler is back with my cousin Arthur…" Everybody widened their eyes in shock, their shock only increasing by the silverette's next revelation, "As for Nightmare, she's right here." He lifted his arm and millions of particles started to form a shape in front of his palm, the shape later revealed to be a sword, the Holy Sword known as Excalibur Nightmare.

The room was completely silent, the shock too great, only Michael's gritting teeth sounded in the room before Xenovia claimed angrily, "How is it that you have that, you thief!? It belongs to the followers of God!"

Derek's only response was a chuckle followed by a smirk with a statement, "Thief? You are very unknowledgeable of your own history."

"D-Dek, what are y…" Irina was saying before she eeped as the ribbon in her arm suddenly unravelled and Excalibur Mimic turned into its original form, shocking everyone as the sword flew towards the Hamilton's free hand, the boy catching easily.

"H-How…" Rias muttered, shocked as she added weakly, "Derek, ho-how can you grab them?"

Derek sighed as he played a little with mimic, stating, "You fools need to read up some history, but let me explain…" He threw Mimic back at Irina who caught it reluctantly, the Hamilton speaking again, "God created the original Excalibur, correct?…" The Church agents nodded, with the boy continuing, "Do you know why he created the sword?"

It took them a moment to recall, Griselda being the one that answered, "I-It was created after King Arthur pleaded for God's help in his struggle to protect B-Britain from the two Heavenly Dragons."

"Yes…" Derek asserted, adding with a tilted head, "God created the sword as a gift for King Arthur and bestowed him with the ability to wield it, with that said…" He shrugged his shoulders, inquiring amusedly, "Who was the very first Hamilton in history? My family's oldest ancestor?"

Everybody widened their eyes once they finally understood the boy's ability to wield the swords and even called them to him. The Hamilton family was really just a branch of the royal family that decided to separate themselves from the throne, but the patriarch, Jonathan, was still a direct son of the bloodline of King Arthur, meaning that Derek, as Jonathan's grandson, also held the bloodline.

"Excalibur, by all means, belongs to my family…" Derek continued, Nightmare disappearing back into its own space as he added, "But as a sign of trust, the shards left after King Arthur's wars, were given to the Church, all but Ruler, that sword became sort of like a heirloom for my family… my cousin, Arthur, is the wielder of it as of now."

"S-So Kokabiel only has three." Sona muttered, shocked after hearing it all. It infuriated her that there were so many things she wasn't even aware of, the games that the higher-ups played between each other were incredibly complex and secretive, it just made her realise how small and insignificant they were compared to the Hamilton heir, a man belonging to the very top of the top.

"Yes…" Derek asserted and then eyed Griselda, returning to the original subject, "Going back to your request, you have my permission to do your thing here…" Griselda smiled a little but Derek narrowed his eyes, stating, "Under two conditions."

Griselda tensed, inquiring warily, "Which are?"

"One, you follow the law to the letter, you break the law or antagonise law-enforcement personal, that includes deceiving them and using them for your own purposes, I will know, and I will personally chase you down and make you pay for your crimes, understood?" Derek added with such commanding tone that everybody gulped.

Griselda only nodded with a shiver, she may be one of the strongest fighters the Church had, but after the show the Hamilton pulled against Raiser Phenex, the Church had specifically warned her about Derek's level, which apparently was at the par with the Satans and Great Seraphs, "W-We will respect the l-law, Mr Hamilton, you have my word."

Derek nodded, adding, "And two, everyone in this room will work together on this."

That made everybody widened their eyes in shock, the mere thought of devils, fallen angels, exorcists and humans working together seemed absolutely ludicrous, they couldn't recall one time in which it has been done before and the hostility each faction had for each other was palpable.

"Derek, you c-can't really mean…" Rias started to mutter but was cut off by Xenovia's angry retort.

"Who do you think you are to order us around!?…" The bluenette was fuming, ignoring Griselda who tried to shut her up in order to add, "Telling us to work with these… heretics! It's an absolute insolence!"

"While I despise her kind…" Sona added, fixing her glasses before she looked up at the heir, her eyes narrowed and challenging as she said, "I have to agree, you are not our leader, you can't…"

She had to stop however, when the room became an inferno, shocking since there was no flames around. It was only then that they realised that Derek was annoyed and his draconic aura was showering them all, the aura of a Heavenly Dragon as he spoke, "You children need to get something in your heads…" He still had his arms crossed before his chest while he leaned on the desk, laidback but somehow releasing an aura of authority that nobody had the strength to even gasp, "This is the Human world, this is my territory, if I say that you have to put on an orange jumpsuit and start collecting rubbish off the streets, you do exactly that…" He stood up then, his cold blues eyeing everyone as he continued, "Your laws, your leaders, mean absolutely nothing in this plane, the moment you stepped into this world, is the moment you agreed to follow its laws and those that enforce them…" His eyes narrowed at Sona and Xenovia who couldn't help but wince as they felt a shiver running down their spines, the Hamilton finishing, "You don't like it? Then by all means go back to your faction's worlds, but if you stay here, then you do as I say. So let me say this one last time, you will ALL work together on this, am I clear?"

There was no sound after that, Kushina and the Church group being the ones that have never met the legendary human, could only shiver in fear as they were subjected to the man's absurdly commanding aura, all of them knowing that the difference between him and the other leaders was that he was ruthless, and will have no trouble decapitating them and sending their heads back to their respective factions. Humanity's growing annoyance of the supernatural world was not a secret, she, as the Yōkai leader's sister and close advisor, knew well that Humanity was starting to become quite hostile to their presence, something like this, could only worsen the diplomacy that remained between them.

"A-As crystal." Was all Sona could muster, submissive now and not daring to look at the Hamilton in the eye. She was smart enough to know that even if she requested the help of her sister, Lucifer himself will immediately intercept it and stop it, it was not worth the trouble.

"I-If I may ask…" Griselda added after some moments of silence, her gentle eyes wandering around the room, observing the good amount of people around before she inquired, "W-Why do you ask this of us? T-This is a Church related matter… n-no offense…" She would laugh at herself for being so incredibly submissive, but by God's mercy, the Hamilton was just incredibly imposing, she has never felt this kind of fear in her life.

"Because as I said, Kokabiel and I are already acquainted with each other…" Derek replied, starting to walk towards the other side of the room, saying, "In fact, I was the one that cut the wanker's arm…" They couldn't even feel surprised anymore, only capable of listening as he continued, "He hates me, with fervour, and I am sure that he knows I am here…" He eyed them all again, his eyes narrowed when he concluded, "If it were just you, than he will surely act like an arrogant fool and toy with you, giving you a chance, but with me here, he's going to go all out and he is a formidable opponent, if you want a an estimate, Kokabiel is at the par with Zophiel, perhaps even Raphael…" The Church group paled as they heard the names of two of the Four Great Seraphs, Derek adding as he eyed the devils, "As for your side, Kokabiel is match enough for Asmodeus and Leviathan."

Raynare could only mutter to them, "W-Well, Lord A-Azazel always said that K-Kokabiel was his biggest and most brutal weapon."

There was a tense silence after that, now everyone capable of seeing why Derek ordered them to work together. With him here, Kokabiel was not going to play around and he was a legendary warrior of his own right, it would be foolish to pretend they had a chance without the Hamilton.

"D-Dek…" Irina's small voice was heard then, the Hamilton looking at her as she inquired, "Just how s-strong are you?" She was so happy to see him again but he was like another person to her, he was not the otherwise caring boy he was when they were kids. She heard from Alice that Derek had changed dramatically for the worst, and she kind of understood after the death of his parents, but it broke her heart that it was almost as if they didn't even knew each other. She's heard so many terrible things about him, things she tried with all of her heart to refute, but seeing him now, it was hard to ignore the truth anymore.

Derek tilted his head, pondering on the question, "Last time I actually had to strain myself to almost my limits was against Kokabiel, but back then I hadn't merged with Ddraig…" He seemed genuinely curious before he shrugged his shoulders, mixing his stats with the other warriors he knew and throwing an approximate, "I don't know for sure, but if I had to guess, I'd say that I'm at the par with Michael and Lucifer…" While their eyes widened in shock, nobody dared to question those words, it was hard to deny them, "I'm sure I'm not stronger than Sirzechs in his ultimate form, but I could still defeat him even then, of course, I would die along with him, but I guess that should be enough for you to make your own conclusions."

The Hamilton then eyed Aleister and nodded at him, the blackette understanding and walking towards the hateful Michael, the blond knight confused before Aleister shocked them when he chopped his neck, the blond losing consciousness and falling in Aleister's arms.

"D-Derek!?" Rias stood up, alarmed, confused as to what her love was doing.

Derek looked at her over his shoulder, saying calmly, "Michael has been gritting his teeth looking at the Holy Swords during the whole duration of this meeting, it pissed me off…" He opened the door and continued, "I'm going to have to cool him off, otherwise he's going to be a liability for us…" Aleister and Akio walked out of the room, Kushina timidly looking at Derek and this one prompting her to follow, the redhead doing as told as Derek eyed Rias, Griselda and Raynare, putting them in charge, "You three come up with a way to search, you have large numbers at your disposal, so use them well, no fighting, this is a real threat, so treat it as one, I shall meet with you three after you've surveyed the area one time."

With that, the Hamilton left, leaving a bunch of people in the room, an awkward silence showering it before Rias smiled a little reluctantly, stating, "W-Well, shall we get to work?" That seemed to break everyone out of their confusion, knowing that there was nothing more to do than to follow orders. Those who knew Derek, felt very worried when they saw him actually frowning at Kokabiel, meaning that this situation was delicate and thus, needed to be treated as such, regardless of the unwelcome alliances that needed to be done.

* * *

Michael woke up groggily, the back of his head hurting like a bitch while he focused on getting a hold of his surroundings. The first thing that the Gremory knight noticed, was that his feet were dragging over the dirt, now capable of feeling his two arms being held by two people who dragged him like a prisoner to his fate.

"W-Wha…" Michael tried to mutter before an amused voice he recognised said.

"Ah, and so, he awakes." Akio muttered with a mischievous giggle while she and Aleister dragged him towards where Derek wanted, the Hamilton heir walking in front of them while the Yōkai female trailed some steps behind.

"Here's good." Derek muttered as he turned to face the knight.

"W-What is goi…" Michael was inquiring before he grunted as he was thrown unceremoniously to the grown by the two humans, cursing the two of them when he heard their amused chuckles, enjoying his fate, "D-Derek, what is g-going on?" He finally got to ask the heir the question.

Derek stood before him, his stature only adding to his commanding aura as he looked down on him, saying, "You, that's what's going on…" Seeing the puzzled expression of the blond male, he continued, "This hatred you have for the Holy Swords…" Michael narrowed his eyes, "It's making you a liability, and you're worrying Rias, her wellbeing is my top priority, so this attitude is something I won't stand."

The knight frowned, his hatred spilling on his aura when he commented, "Easy for you to say, you have no idea what I…"

"I know exactly what happened to you, Holy Sword Project survivor…" Derek interrupted him with a sharp tone, Michael gritting his teeth in anger as he saw the heir not even sympathising with him in the slightest, "While you have the right to hate the swords, you don't have the right to disregard the woman that saved you and to become a threat to the human world by going rogue."

Michael leaned on, still on the ground, his eyes almost burning up in anger as he spoke sharply, "I don't fucking care! You have no idea the despair I felt!…" The blond balled his fists, adding, "You're a fricking privileged brat who's never su…"

Michael shut up immediately when Excalibur Nightmare was thrust into the ground, millimetres away from his body, the knight's anger completely gone as it was now replaced with fear when he saw the Hamilton's eyes, they were incredibly cold, a dark blue that border-lined in black.

"You know absolutely nothing about me, child…" The way that Derek spoke the word 'child', it made Michael wince as he realised just how dark the eyes of the heir were, filled with anger, hatred, pain, sorrow, every single emotion that he felt, was present in Derek's heart as well, heck, his dark emotions paled in comparison to Derek's, "You have a home, you have food, you have a purpose, there are thousands of people out there who have it immensely worse than you and they still make do, if they can do it, so can you."

Michael lowered his gaze, breathing harshly as he muttered, "How a-am I supposed to do that?…" He looked back at Derek. While his eyes were narrowed and his teeth were grinding against each other, Derek could see that there was more despair and pain than hatred in the blond's heart when he added, "How am I s-supposed to move on when my comrades d-didn't even had the chance!? H-How!?"

"You focus…" Derek replied dryly, explaining after, "All that pain, all that hatred, you focus it on your goals…" He stood up again, Excalibur Nightmare still buried right beside Michael as the Hamilton continued, "You want vengeance? Then have it, but don't let it be your whole life, because once you get it, you will be left unsatisfied and then, you'll try to find something, somebody else to blame and continue on your avenger path until you get yourself killed… trust me, I know what I'm talking about…" Michael didn't doubted that, "I won't stop you from getting the one responsible, but I will get rid of you, if you harm Rias in any way, or if you go against the law, I won't even give you the chance to explain yourself."

Michael gulped at those words, knowing exactly that the heir was not joking and that he will do as he said without looking back. Weber's eyes wandered towards the sword beside him before they landed on the ground, pensive, not knowing what to do.

"I'll throw you a bone…" Derek's voice drew the knight's attention up, listening as the heir continued, "According to our own investigation, the one responsible for the project, was a priest named Valper Galilei …" Michael's eyes narrowed and his fists balled, the Hamilton continuing, "He was excommunicated from the church after his project was uncovered by Michael himself…" Derek grabbed Nightmare and placed it back in its own dimension, adding, "From the last report I received about Kokabiel and his goons, it was discovered that Valper has allied with Kokabiel, probably to get revenge on Heaven."

Michael's eyes widened, muttering, "You m-mean that…"

"It's likely that he is here with Kokabiel…" Derek asserted, adding with his arms crossed, "Have your revenge, kill Valper if you want…" The British's eyes narrowed then, adding with a warning, "But if after getting your revenge, you still act like a pathless fool, then I will deal with you right there, understood?"

While Michael wanted to retort, saying that he couldn't order him around, he felt his head nodding and his mouth moving on their own, replying, "Y-Yes."

"Good…" Derek said, adding, "Then go back to Rias and get to it, you are to work with them, it's not negotiable."

Michael only nodded and stood up, making his way back to his master, a lot of things to think about in the meantime.

"You think he'll respond, Boss?" Akio inquired as she observed the handsome knight go, her arms crossed under her bust while her smirk still showed.

Derek shrugged, replying uncaringly, "Who knows, we'll see."

"What if he doesn't?" Aleister inquired, already knowing the answer.

"Then he dies." Derek's calm and cold tone made Kushina shivered as she observed the man her sister hoped would become her mate, acting like the ruthless leader he was known to be.

The Hamilton then focused on his two subordinates, ordering, "Go back to the group and observe, let them do the work, your job is to only make sure that no bickering is to take place."

"Sir." Both Aleister and Akio replied with a salute, heading back to the ORC to carry out their task.

Kushina gulped when the silverette's eyes landed on her, the Hamilton saying, "Let's get you to your new home, you must be tired."

Kushina nodded with a shy smile and ran to his side, walking next to him with a blush, wondering what trials awaited her now that she found herself in the middle of a hotspot of events, _'A-At least… I'm s-sure I'll get stronger…'_ She convinced herself with that thought, she had made a choice and now, she could only follow it through.

* * *

"So…" Rias started saying as she walked through the streets of Luxembourg accompanied by her team. Night was looming upon the European city as they searched for clues of Kokabiel's whereabouts, but so far, nothing had come up. Rias, Griselda and Raynare, Derek's appointed leaders, had divided everybody into three groups of three members and one group of four, with Sona and her peerage being kept as reserves in case they were needed. The team in charge of scouting the north of the city, was comprised by Griselda, Akeno and Li. The one scouting the east, was formed by Raynare, Koneko and Xenovia. The one heading to the west, had Kalawarner, Ni, Asia and Michael. And the one on the south, was formed by Rias, Irina and Karlamine. It was decided that if they were to work together, the best was to have mixed teams in order to at least create a sense of camaraderie, direct confrontation with Kokabiel was most certain, so they had to at least know each other in order to fight alongside the other. There was no trust between them of course, but when a Heavenly Dragon is breathing down your neck, you tend to do as he wishes, "You've known Derek since childhood?" Rias inquired to the bubbly girl walking beside her, seizing this rare opportunity to know about her lover's past.

Irina looked at Rias for a moment with a smile, pondering on whether or not to trust the devil. She knew well what her relationship with her best friend was, it was painfully obvious that the redheaded woman was in love with him. Irina has also heard a lot about Derek's promiscuity, she has kept a close relationship with Alice and Emily, so she's heard it all from them. It certainly hurt her, because she's been in love with him since who knows when, it was her childish dream to grow up with him, marry, have a couple of kids and live beside him for the rest of their lives, but alas, fate had other plans.

"Yes…" The brunette replied as she looked back at the front, a wistful smile on her face when she continued, "We met in primary school, when I just arrived to London…" She rubbed her arm, speaking after a sigh, "Since I was a foreigner and a commoner in one of London's most prestigious educational institutions, the moment I got to school, I became a target of bullies…" She shivered a little, remembering that dreadful first day she had, "But…" She couldn't stop her loving smile from showing though, as she recalled how it turned from one of the worst days of her life, to one of her best, "He defended me, he bullied the bullies and since he is the grandnephew of the Queen, there was nothing no one could say or do to him, so I stuck to him like glue and gradually, he became my best friend…" She looked back at the devil adding with a sad smile, "I like to t-think I became his best friend a-as well."

Rias now could easily tell how painful it was for Irina to lose Derek, it did angered her a little to see how much pain can Derek cause with his attitude, but there was little to nothing that she could do about it, heck, not even he could help himself, it was just who he was, "You did." She said softly with a small reassuring smile.

Irina widened her eyes a little, stopping to mutter, "H-How do you know?"

Rias knew that it may anger Derek, but she couldn't help herself, Irina seemed like a genuinely honest and kind person, it wasn't fair for her to believe that she meant nothing to Derek. The Gremory knew well that Irina was in love with him, heck, that kiss she gave him back in her clubroom made it clear for everyone, but, it was also easily to tell that as the meeting went by and Derek showed more of his true self, Irina felt like she didn't even knew him anymore. But, knowing that it wasn't really anything that should remain a secret, Rias decided to recall a talk she had with her man some weeks ago, "He told me…" Seeing Irina's slightly teary eyes, she continued, "It happened a couple of weeks ago, we were in the spa and I asked him if he had a best friend besides Aleister, I've always been very curious of his past and while I respect his secrecy, I know he usually leaves this little details spill in his tales, so I wanted to hear if he had one in the past…" Rias leaned back on a railing, resting before she continued, "He told me that he had one, he never told me the name, but he did said that it was a 'she'."

Irina looked at the ground a little, controlling her emotions, saying after a moment of silence, "D-Did… d-did he said a-anything else?"

Rias tilted her head, listening as Karlamine leaned next to her before the heiress replied, "Only that you were his complete opposite…" She smiled, making an impersonation of her lover to continue, "He said, 'maybe that's why it worked'…" She giggled and was happy to see that a small smile was formed on Irina's lips, adding after a moment, "He only said that, but he made it clear with the sound of his voice, that you are very important to him."

Irina's smile fell after that, biting her lip, bringing her left hand to grab her right arm, looking at the side with a hurt and sad look as she whispered, hopeless, "T-Then why d-did he… l-left me?"

Rias sighed deeply after that, looking at Karlamine for a bit, the swordswoman also wearing a small frown, feeling it for the exorcist, which was extremely weird, a devil showing sympathy for an agent of God. Putting the ironies to the back of her head, the buxom devil looked back at Irina, stating, "I don't know Irina, that's something only he can answer…" She then walked towards the girl, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, drawing Irina's eyes as she continued, "All I can tell you is that, I know that Derek may seem like a completely different man from the one that you knew, but he's still him, I haven't known him for more than a year and I was even afraid of him at the beginning…" That surprised Irina and Karlamine, but the two remained silent to listen as the heiress kept going, "But I learned to listen what's behind his actions, his cold eyes, his hurtful words, there's so much beneath them and they are so well hidden that is really hard to get them…" She retracted her hand, a genuine smile on her face as she encouraged the brunette, "But I promise you, Derek may have changed, but I am sure that what made you fall in love with him, it's still there, you just have to get to know him once again."

Irina's eyes and mouth were wide, a couple of tears falling from her eyes as she listened to Rias' words. She didn't cared that they came from a devil, she didn't cared that she felt comforted by a devil, all that she cared about was the words she just heard, they were so true and it made Irina's heart lit on fire once again, "Y-You're right…" Irina whispered, a small smile adorning her face and after cleaning her tears, she declared, "That's exactly what I'll do!"

Rias and Karlamine smiled at that, for a moment, the three of them forgetting about the differences between each other, not even realising that this was exactly what Derek wanted to achieve, "That's the attitude…" Rias claimed and after sighing, she said, "It's late, the other teams should be already heading back to the ORC, so let's go." Both Irina and Karlamine nodded and with that, the three women made their way back to the University.

* * *

Unbeknownst to the three women, two humans were observing them from a nearby roof, their harsh training making them capable to listen to their conversation.

"Do you think that the Boss realises?" Aleister asked his teammate after a sigh, crouching on the edge of the roof, his face adorned with a frown, saddened to hear Irina's tale.

Akio, who was leaning against a chimney, raised an eyebrow, tilting her head a little to inquire, "Realise what?"

The blackette looked at his fellow blackette, replying, "The pain he causes with his actions…" At Akio's blank expression, Aleister sighed and added, "Don't get me wrong, I know that he does it all to protect them… us…" It was no lie, Derek literally walks the path of darkness to protect them and he knew it, "But, don't you think he could, I don't know, at least tone it down a little?"

Akio did sighed after that, massaging her neck, her heart wishing for the same thing but she knew her once lover well, despite the distance and situations that occurred with him, she still felt her bond with him, so she said, "You know that Derek is the way he has to be, Al…" She straighten herself up, stretching her body a little before she added, "With all the things he has to do, for both the UK's sake and ours, Derek acts the way he has to, you know that."

Aleister sighed while Akio leapt off towards the next roof, heading towards the ORC room to continue their mission, "I guess you're right." Was all Aleister could whisper before he followed his female teammate, not much to add after that.

* * *

" _So, nothing then, huh?_ " Derek's voice was heard coming from Rias' mobile, currently on speaker so that everyone in the room could hear him well.

"Yes…" Rias replied, her eyes wandering over the crowded room before she continued, "Not even a trace of him or whoever's aiding him."

The other end of the line remained silent, Derek seemingly pondering on something before he spoke again, " _I wasn't really expecting you to find anything…_ " Almost as if he was there to see the puzzled expressions on everyone's faces, Derek explained, " _I told you, Kokabiel is going to be wary, he know that I am here and the last time he acted rashly against me, the wanker lost an arm, he's going to be careful and that's what makes him all the more dangerous._ "

Rias sighed at that, worried for the situation. The Gremory was about to speak but Sona beat her to it, saying, "Don't you think it would be best to inform Lord Lucifer of the situation?" The Sitri knew that there was small doubt of Derek's prowess, but she still had a hard time believing that he could go toe to toe against a warrior of Kokabiel's calibre.

" _Sirzechs it's already informed of this._ " Derek said, surprising them all.

Rias gasped before she said, "W-What d… d-did you told him?" Rias was a little frustrated at that, she genuinely didn't wanted to bother her elder brother but mostly, she didn't wanted him to come here and dot all of over her, he was extremely overprotective of her, she was even surprised that so far, he hasn't said a word to Derek regarding their relationship, not that she knew of at least.

A sigh was heard coming from the other line, the Hamilton saying dryly, " _Don't be foolish Rias, the leaders of each faction know what's going on…_ " Again, everybody widened their eyes, frustration grasping the strongest of them all as they realised that no matter their blood, their power, their titles, their last names, to those at the top, they were nothing but mere pawns, " _It's not like Kokabiel has been acting in the shadows, he's making sure that the buzz is being heard by us all, and he's been successful so far._ "

"Then w-why aren't the Satans or Azazel doing something to stop this?…" Sona inquired, extremely frustrated, adding, "You can't really expect u-us to beat Kokabiel on our own."

" _Because if they do, they'd be falling into Kokabiel's game…_ " Everybody listened intently as the Hamilton continued, " _He wants to draw the big shots, possibly kill one of them or at the very least injure them badly in order to reinstate full on hostility between each other, we know that, so it was decided that only I stay here in the meantime, despite Sirzechs' and Serafall's protests…_ " Both Rias and Sona couldn't help but blush in embarrassment at that, Derek sounded genuinely annoyed by the surely exuberant protest that their siblings made, " _Your job is not to face Kokabiel, is to find him before he decides to send me a message._ "

Griselda tilted her head, confused as the rest of the people gathered in the room, inquiring, "A-A message?"

Derek seemed to stop for a moment to find a good explanation, saying once he did, " _Yes, that you haven't found him, doesn't mean he's not aware of you, he'll probably try to draw me out by hurting one of you badly…_ " Everybody flinched at that, now understanding what he meant with the message, " _That is why Aleister and Akio are observing you from the shadows, they are there to make sure that it doesn't happen, but even then, they can't be everywhere at the same time._ "

There was a collective gulp after that, because none of them, not even Griselda who was clearly the strongest in the room, had even felt the presence of the two humans, they weren't even here but now that Derek revealed their presence, there was a small peak of aura coming from some distance away from the room, the two humans seemingly saying hi with their power, _'No wonder they w-were c-called Ghosts…'_ Griselda thought as she remembered all she read of the dreaded team, one that stroke fear in the hearts of supernatural beings for quite some time.

"M-Master… if I may…" Raynare stepped up, a little reluctant to continue but after Derek urged her to do so, the blackette spoke her question, "W-Why aren't you participating i-in this directly?" She hoped that she didn't sounded like if she was questioning his authority, it was just a genuine inquiry since she found it strange that so far, her master had no intention of appearing.

Derek sighed, replying after a moment, " _Because not everyone in the human world is content with this peace of ours…_ " That shocked them all, listening as the Hamilton continued, " _A considerable part of our order wants to eliminate you, the larger part still wants peace, but if anything happens to me, a lot of people will use that as a boost for their cause; I will appear, but only if Kokabiel shows his ugly mug, if not, then there is no need for me to risk it._ "

"Politics." Rias muttered, annoyed, Sona nodding her agreement to the statement.

Kalawarner then stepped forward, asking with uncertainty filling her silky tone, "M-Master… w-what…" She looked around, noticing how everyone seemed to caught on to what she was going to ask, apparently sharing the question, "W-What happens if Kokabiel… s-succeeds?"

Derek remained silent along with the room, the Hamilton apparently pondering on whether or not to answer that question. But the heir spoke after some moments, a sigh before he replied, " _There are a couple of contingencies, the first one, we kill Kokabiel and pine it all on him…_ " They nodded but remained quiet as the heir continued, " _If Kokabiel either escapes or he succeeds in instilling the fires of war in the Fallen community, then those that wish for war, will be dealt with immediately…_ " They gulped, noticing how the options became even darker as the boy finished, " _If even then, there's still desire for war, then Azazel will be given an ultimatum to surrender._ "

"A-And…" Raynare whispered, afraid to ask what she already knew, finding some strength to just get on with it, "I-If Lord A-Azazel refuses?"

Everybody remained silent, an ominous air taking them hostage as Derek seemed to have trouble replying that question. But finally, after what it seemed like hours, Derek sighed and replied without a hint of uncertainty, " _Then the Fallen will be dealt with as a whole and will be used as an example…_ " Nobody could stop the shivers from being visible as it ran through their bodies, the way that Derek spoke, frightened them all to the core, " _The path to the beyond, is tinted red._ " He finished with a strange oath-like phrase.

There was no sound after that. While they may be enemies, the thought of Humanity disappearing one of the three Biblical Factions, made them all stop to realise that despite it all, they were just living creatures, with dreams and goals, but at the very end, they were all tools in this war those at the top fought, whether they wanted to or not.

Surprising them all however, Derek reassured the two Fallen in the room, stating with a shocking slightly soft tone, " _But that is a last resource decision, I am here to stop that from happening…_ " Raynare and Kalawarner visibly felt better, releasing a heavy sigh as a small smile appeared on their faces, there was no doubt now that those two, had their trust and faith completely in the silverette, " _If there's' nothing more, then you should rest._ "

And just like that, the tension in the room disappeared as everybody exhaled relieved, all of them wishing for nothing more but a good night's sleep. Though Rias looked at the Church group, inquiring, "Ms Quarta, do you have a place to stay for the duration of your mission?"

Griselda, Xenovia and Irina were almost shocked to hear the question, surprised to see a devil apparently concerned for them, "Well, we d-don't…" Griselda began saying, scratching her scruff as she eyed her two companions, adding after, "But I guess we can go to the c-church here and use it as our rest-place."

Rias though, shook her head with a small smile, saying, "There is no need for that, if we are to fight together, than we must be together for the duration of this mission…" Griselda and her companions were shocked, more so when the Gremory added, "I believe that Derek has a spare house next to his, since some of the people that were supposed to live there, moved to Japan…" She then looked at her phone, asking with a wifely tone, "Isn't that correct, dear?"

Those who knew the Hamilton, were shocked when he actually sighed in defeat, stating, " _Whatever…_ " Rias smiled victoriously, thanking Seekvaria in her mind since she was the one that taught her the tone to demand something from the Hamilton, " _It's being occupied by Kushina and Akio at the moment, but there is room for you three, so yeah, stay there if you wish._ "

With that, the Hamilton ended the call abruptly, Rias giggling at that before she looked at everyone, addressing them, "Well then, you heard him, let us all rest and prepare for the next day, I have a feeling that Kokabiel won't be staying in the shadows for too long."

With those ominous words, they all nodded and started making their way towards their respective homes, ignoring the fact that despite being enemies, there was no longer a sense of hostility between them.

* * *

Irina shivered slightly as she felt the cold breeze of Luxembourg's night hitting her, the only thing covering her body, was a set of casual clothes given to her by Rias, they were more a pyjama than anything else. On top of it, her usual white robe as she jumped through the window of the room she was staying at, landing softly on the ground with the grace that only a warrior like herself could have.

She inhaled then, closing her eyes for a moment, gathering the strength to do what she was about to, "You can do this, Irina." She muttered to herself, successfully managing to push her nerves away in order to look at the house next to them, the one that housed her best friend, or ex-best friend, at this point, she didn't know.

Irina remembered what Rias told her, that she was going to make sure that Derek was alone for the night, so that she could have a chance to speak to him, something that despite Rias being a devil, Irina couldn't help but be grateful to the beauty for.

Shaking her head, Irina crouched and then with a leap that shouldn't be possible for a human to do, landed on the tiles right below Derek's window, Irina observing the window for a moment, trying to see if Derek was alone of not.

She smiled when she saw the boy in question seemingly asleep, on his own. The Hamilton was still wearing his regular clothes, the bed still made with him on top of it, his arm covering his eyes while his chest rose and lower in a rhythmic manner.

The busty exorcist found herself struggling a little to go through with her plan but before she could even do anything, the boy in question muttered, a little annoyed, "What are you doing, Irina?"

Irina yelped, not expecting him to be awake, heck, she hasn't even opened the window and yet, his voice still resounded with the same strength despite being some metres away from her, _'H-How does he do that!?…'_ She asked herself before she sighed and opened the window, her gaze down while she walked into his room, timidly twiddling her fingers before she replied, "I-I… umm… I w-wanted to… t-talk to you… D-Derek…"

Derek removed his arm from his eyes, the boy opening only one to regard the nervous female in his room. He knew what she wanted to talk about, there was no way that he could escape her questions once she found him, it was inevitable. And while Derek was not going to apologise for what he did, nor was he going to try to get her to understand, she was important to him, she held a piece of his heart and he admitted it, to himself that is, so she at least deserved to have some answers from him.

Derek sighed then, slowly sitting on the bed, massaging his temples before he stood up and walked towards a chair near his bed, grabbing the black jacket and donning it, Irina looking at him coyly with a small cute blush on her cheeks, her eyes afraid to lock with his, "Follow me." Derek muttered dryly before he jumped through his window and started walking through the dark streets, Irina shaking her head and doing as told, falling into step with him a moment after.

It took the pair a couple of very, very silent minutes to reach their destination, a small park near Derek's neighbourhood. The park had a couple of playgrounds spread around, covered by the beautiful foliage that only a Medieval-styled city could offer.

Irina began leading Derek, the Hamilton silently looking at her as she walked like a zombie towards a small pond in the middle of the park. They stopped once they reached it, Irina at the edge of the ground, her eyes locked to a couple of ducks swimming around, even in the middle of the night.

Derek stayed some steps behind her, his face impassive, betraying absolutely nothing while his eyes were still locked to the woman's humanity.

The silence was almost unbearable for Irina, there were so many things she wanted to say to him, to do to him, to let him do to her, she honestly didn't cared about her clerical vows at the moment because in her heart, Derek had come first, then God. But, the only thing she was capable of muttering, was a weak whisper with a simple question, "W-Why?…"

Derek sighed, irritated at himself for feeling a sudden urge to try and comfort the woman, _'Need to work on my sudden mellowness…'_ He admonished himself before he recovered the cold mask that was Derek Hamilton, replying as he walked to stand beside her, "Because I had to, simple as that."

Irina wasn't happy with that answer, a small pout on her face, trying with all her might to hold her tears back as she added, a little angrily, "Y-You had to?…" She swallowed hard, adding after, "I k-know that it broke you… b-but you should've come back home! To your family… to A-Alice… t-to… to me!…" That did it for her, her tears now slowly falling without measure when she continued, "W-We would've been there for you! I… I w-wanted to be there for you… to h-hug you… to comfort you… t-to ease your pain… I w-wante… I w-want that…" She looked down at the water, noticing her reflection, not caring anymore as she added a last mutter, "B-But you left… me."

There was a silence that fell over them for a couple of moments, Irina's small sobs being the only thing that could be heard before the Hamilton said, his voice calm and cold, "The Derek you knew died that day, Irina…" He looked at the woman, Irina's eyes wide as he continued, "If I had come back to London after that, you wouldn't have even recognised me."

Irina stared at her first and only love for a couple of moments before she walked shyly towards him, grabbing his jacket, gripping it tightly as if to stop him from leaving when she whispered, "I-It wouldn't have mattered t-to me anyway…" She gently placed her body before his, her forehead resting on his chest as she added, "I w-would d-do anything to ease your pain, e-even if you hurt me, I w-wanted to be there for you, e-even if I had to k-know you all over again."

Derek just inhaled deeper at that, muttering while his eyes looked at the darkened pond, "You don't understand."

"Then help me understand." Irina spoke, her teary eyes now locked to his blues, daring him to deny her anything else.

Derek had to suppress a small smirk at seeing his best friend's legendary determination, she's had it ever since he met her and it was sort of a relief to see it once again. But, the silverette remained silent for a couple of moments, debating whether or not tell her the truth. There was just a couple of people who knew what really happened that day in Brussels, he figured that one more, would do no problem, "My parents…" He began, stopping for a moment before he finished his sentence, "They didn't died in a car accident."

Irina gulped, a dreadful feeling catching her heart, capable of predicting where this might end. She's suspected it for a while, that what was told about James and Elena Hamilton's deaths was not the truth, it seemed to, simple, "W-What happened?" She wasn't as shocked as he might have thought she would, but she did had her own theories.

Derek sighed, his eyes looking at the pond, narrowed, controlling his temper before he replied, "They were killed…" Irina closed her eyes and pushed her face in his chest after that, her fears realising as he continued, "After that day, I vowed for vengeance, I severed all ties and put my whole focus on the responsible for their deaths…" He looked down at Irina who was sobbing again, finishing, "I became what I am today, because of hatred, vengeance, I never came back to London because I spent four years training my Sacred Gear, my own body, and when I was strong enough, I spent the remaining years looking for the one that killed them, I had my own crusade, nothing else mattered to me back then."

Irina sobbed a little more, remembering Derek's parents, two people she greatly cherished and always treated her with such love that she couldn't help but love them back. Heck, his mother, Elena, told her once that she wished for Irina to become Derek's wife, "D-Do…" She started, tentatively adding, "D-Do you know who d-did it?"

Derek remained silent again, but she could feel his anger, his aura heating her up in a far from pleasurable way before he answered, "A woman… that's all I know." He wasn't lying, that was the only thing he knew of the killer, nothing else.

Irina felt that and stayed quiet, her body still awkwardly resting on his, her hands gripping his jacket while her cheek rested on his chest. What else could she say? What was there to add to this? She understood now a little bit more why he'd left, but she still believed that he didn't had to, that he could've gone back to them, to her, "You…" She whispered, tightening her grip on his jacket before she finished her thought, "You've changed." Her tone revealed her immense sadness and pain at admitting that, to herself mostly, almost as if letting him go.

Derek said nothing, his face impassive, though there was a small movement in his jaw. Sighing before he stepped back, away from Irina's natural warmth and back into the cold of the night, where he belonged, he agreed wholeheartedly "I have."

Irina observed as he turned and started walking back towards the house, the female feeling her heart breaking at the sight before she remembered what Rias told her, _'Derek may have changed, but I am sure that what made you fall in love with him, it's still there, you just have to get to know him once again…'_ Sighing deeply, Irina steeled her heart and declared loudly, her eyes burning up with determination as her mouth opened, "I will… I will k-know you once again, Derek… I p-promise you that."

Derek stopped for a moment, his back the only thing she could see through the night before his voice was heard, "We'll see."

And with that, the Hamilton disappeared in the night, leaving Irina behind with a still broken heart, but knowing that if she had a chance to know him, to find the thing that made her fall in love with him again, she would take it in a heartbeat, hence the small smile on her lips.

* * *

Derek kept his gaze up front as he stood on the roof of his house, the cold night of Luxembourg serving to refresh him, to keep him away from his desire of revenge on Kokabiel for daring to touch his sister.

" _So nothing has been found then?_ " The voice of his grandfather, Jonathan Hamilton, was heard coming from his phone, which was stuck to his right ear. The voice of the Hamilton patriarch was collected and sharp, not feeling any worries for the current predicament.

"No, he's been the little rat he is…" Derek replied, his eyes narrowing at the distance when he added with his free fist balled, "It's getting hard to remain here, Pops."

Jonathan sighed on the other end of the line, knowing that Derek's been wanting to kill Kokabiel for a while now. The silverette's desire for vengeance on both the Cadre and his parents' killer hadn't demeaned, but surprisingly, he has put revenge as a secondary objective, no longer his primary. Why is that? Jonathan had the theory that it had to do with the women that have been flocking him as of late, " _I know, but you know I barely managed to keep this situation contained, you and I are the only ones that know about this in the Human government…_ " Jonathan stopped for a moment before he added, " _We must tread carefully, otherwise we risk having Evelyn learning about this, if he does…_ "

Derek sighed, closing his eyes as he finished his grandfather's sentence, "He'll push for the war he wants and hardly anyone will disagree…" He heard Jonathan agreeing, Derek adding, "I hate politics." He didn't even remembered when he went from being humanity's main field weapon, to being one of humanity's main plotters.

" _And yet, you excel at it…_ " Jonathan added with a little bit of mirth, letting moments of silence to pass before he spoke again, " _So, Irina…_ "

Derek could practically picture Jonathan's knowing smirk, the old man always had a blast whenever Derek got himself in this sort of trouble. Snorting mirthlessly, Derek said quickly, "I'll keep this as silent as I can."

Jonathan chuckled after hearing Derek's words, knowing well that despite the front he put, his grandson was happy to see Irina again, " _You do that…_ " Derek narrowed his eyes when he felt a sudden surge of power, a big dome of energy forming at the distance, right where he knew the Academy was, " _Deal with this swiftly and keep me informed. Good luck._ "

Derek listened as the call was cut, bringing his phone back to his pocket and crossing his arms, his foot impatiently knocking on his roof.

Before he could do anything else though, a frantic scream brought his attention down to his front door, "Derek!…" The Hamilton's eyes widened slightly when he saw Tsubasa accompanied by Momo, carrying a badly battered Irina, her battle suit tore, revealing most of her naked and bloodied body, "We need you!" Tsubasa screamed again once she and her teammate reached her boyfriend's home.

Derek immediately teleported before the two Sitri members, saying with eyes narrowed, his voice dangerously low, "Who did this?" He took Irina from Tsubasa's arms and carried her to his room, placing Irina on his bed.

"A freak named Freed but…" Tsubasa stopped for a moment, finding her voice again to add, "Kokabiel said… h-hello…" She and Momo flinched when the Hamilton's aura leaked slightly, the oppressive and dark power of the Red Dragon Emperor reminding them of the level the boy before them had.

The sudden anger of Derek along with the surge of power attracted Yubelluna, Xuelan, Siris, Marion, Burent and Kushina, all of them rushing to Derek's room, with Yubelluna asking once they saw the damaged body of the exorcist, "M-Master?…" Yubelluna eyed everyone in the room, uncertain.

"It seems that Kokabiel has begun his ploy…" Derek spoke, eerily calm about seeing his best friend in such state. But turning towards the women who flinched at his imposing gaze, the Hamilton ordered, "Momo, you know healing magic, correct?…" The white-heard female nodded shyly, the male eyeing Marion then, "Marion, aid Momo in taking care of Irina…" The French woman nodded dutifully, determined to do well for her master, "As for the rest of you…" He eyed Tsubasa, Yubelluna, Burent, Siris and Kushina, finishing, "I want you to separate and make a perimeter around the barrier erected on the Academy, keep a distance of three hundred metres, your job is to ensure that none of Kokabiel's goons, or even him, leaves the city and endangers the citizens, am I clear?"

They women stood in attention and replied like soldiers in unison, "Yes!"

Derek nodded and took a last glance at Irina, seeing her pained frown, fuelling his hatred. He then started walking towards the door, only stopping when Tsubasa grabbed his hand, inquiring worriedly, "H-Honey, are you going there?" She was more worried for her friends than Derek though, she trusted her mate and knew that he was capable of defeating the Cadre by himself.

Derek sighed and nodded slightly, muttering, "He wishes to see me, and I shall grant it to him…" He patted Tsubasa's blue hair then, adding uncharacteristically, "Don't worry, it'll be okay."

Tsubasa nodded with a small smile and watched her boyfriend go, praying to Satan that he and her friends would be alright, "Let's do this then." She then muttered and the women nodded, determined to get this job done, a lot was at stake here and they would be damned if they let their home fall.

* * *

Rias made her way alongside her rather large group towards the Academy's sport grounds, where Kokabiel was sitting ominously on a floating throne. While she was nervous as hell since this was the very first crisis she had to oversee, her face was determined to protect her home, her family and her pride as a marquis.

"Kokabiel!" She screamed once they finally arrived at the grounds, noticing that some metres away from them, below Kokabiel, two figures she knew were Freed Sellzen and Valper Galilei, were starting a ritual of some sorts, using the four Excalibur they had in their possession.

"Ah, finally…" The Fallen Angel named Kokabiel said while leaning his cheek against his fist, not even winded by the appearance of such a large group, "I was wondering when you would get here…" He leaned forward, adding with eyes narrowed, "So, who will it be? Sirzechs? Michael? Azazel even? Or…" He gritted his teeth, his eyes wandering towards his missing limb, adding with hatred filling his voice, "Hamilton?"

Rias smirked at seeing the Cadre's hatred for her lover, she didn't expected him to hate him as much as he did but it was a welcomed benefit, enraged enemies, usually made mistakes during battle, _'On the flip side, they care less about the mess they do…'_ She reminded herself to always consider every outcome, something Derek and Seekvaria drilled in her head.

Looking at the Cadre defiantly, Rias spoke, "None…" She gestured her group consisting of her peerage, Griselda and Xenovia, Aleister and Akio. Raynare and Kalawarner had to go back to Grigori as to not raise suspicion, so they weren't present for the coming battle. Rias then said without missing a bit, "We're enough for you."

Kokabiel laughed cynically, muttering, "So you say…" Kokabiel's eyes surveyed the team assembled to confront him, his eyes locking on the two humans, adding with a small chuckle, "Ah, and the traitor goes back to her leash."

Everybody looked at Akio who chuckled, her arms crossed under her bust, saying with a mischievous smirk, "What can I say? You may pay more, but I have a five-star insurance here…" She flicked her head haughtily, her right foot suddenly being covered by a layer of magic symbols, stating with a challenging glint, "Can't pass that out now, can I?"

Everybody got ready to fight after that, Kokabiel laughing before he stated, "I guess you can't…" He then clicked his fingers and suddenly, below him, three large circles appeared, "How about you entertain my puppies while one of the hot-shots arrives, hm?…" Kokabiel said with a smirk as three powerful growls were heard from the light of the circles, receding later to show the imposing and scary visage of three gigantic three-headed dogs, viciously growling and drooling as they observed the group as if they were mere pieces of meat, "Perhaps if one of you dies, they'll come quicker to your rescue." The Cadre added with a vicious smirk.

"How did you got your hands on Cerberus!?" Griselda asked as she branded her sword, her body being surrounded by a coat of holy energy, minding her distance from her devil allies as to not hurt them by accident.

Kokabiel laughed, stating, "That's a secret, nun…" He then eyed Valper and Freed, inquiring, "How long do you need, Valper?"

The Genocide Archbishop looked above him, stating with a sadistic smirk, "Fifteen minutes should be enough…" He eyed the swords, adding later, "Maybe less."

Kokabiel chuckled and after he looked at the group, said, "Then have fun."

Aleister though, stepped forward, long gone was his friendly face as it was now changed for a stern and dangerous look, the look of Derek's second in command when he stated, "You honestly expect us to struggle against Cerberus?…" That statement surprised everyone but Kokabiel and Akio, since Cerberus was by no means a weak creature, "We've beaten even you, Kokabiel." He finished with one of Derek's sadistic smirks.

Kokabiel felt a surge of anger at the reminder but then smirked, stating after a snigger, "Indeed and that is why…" He clicked his fingers once again, another circle appearing, though this one was way smaller, shone below his floating throne, an adult-sized coffin appearing from the glow, Kokabiel saying with an evil and excited smirk, "I brought something special for you."

"What ar…" Akio was muttering before her and her group's focus went straight towards the coffin as it opened, a flow of smoke following before a figure rouse from the casket, stepping out of it and revealing himself to the world, "N-No…" Akio muttered with her eyes completely wide, her body trembling in both anger and nervousness as she observed the male looking around in a confused manner.

"H-How dare you…" Aleister muttered with the same hatred that Akio, the rest of the group completely confused as to what was so shocking about the zombie-like man that appeared.

"A-Al, Akio, w-who is he?" Rias inquired, alarmed as the rest of her group. If the two most powerful and seasoned warriors of their side were so shocked and wary, then it certainly means no good.

Kokabiel laughed gleefully at the two human's expressions, Aleister gritting his teeth as he muttered a heated reply, "Luis Sanchez."

They were confused until Akio identified the man for them, stating with a grave tone and narrowed eyes, "Otherwise known as GhostThree."

That got a reaction from those who knew what she meant, looking at the man some metres away from them with new light, one of fear and wariness. If this man was one of the former members of Derek's group, than it can only mean that he was at the par with Akio and Aleister.

"How do you like it?…" Kokabiel said with a smile as he observed the zombified human, the Cadre continuing, "I don't even know how this was possible, but a little someone gave me the chance to test something for him, and this is the result…" Luis started walking in front of the dogs, his aura ominous and powerful, with the Cadre adding, "It's a fascinating ritual, you bring someone back from the dead, but their consciousness gets locked up, leaving you free to control the abilities they once had…" He then scoffed, adding, "Of course, since Luis here had a Sacred Gear and said gear now belongs to somebody else, his power has been demeaned, but he still retains the capabilities to use most of his previous power." He then laughed loudly at that, eager to see the results of the experiment.

"Dammit." Akio muttered with gritted teeth, despite their differences, seeing her former teammate being defiled in such way was something that boiled her blood.

Aleister was of the same mind, didn't mattered that Luis betrayed them, he was still a brother to Aleister, seeing him like this, was disgraceful, "Everybody…" He stated, gaining the attention of the group as he continued, "Do not engage Luis, at all costs."

Xenovia narrowed her eyes at that, stating, "Why not?"

"Because you will die…" Akio added without missing a beat, knowing that they were surprised so spoke again, "The five of us were trained to kill gods, remember?"

They widened their eyes at those words, gulping as they looked at the zombie who hadn't moved an inch, surprisingly not even the dogs, _'Kokabiel's probably toying with us…'_ Griselda thought with gritted teeth, looking at the Cadre smirking amusedly at them, "What is his ability?" The lead exorcist inquired.

"Luis was the wielder of 'Hermes' Blessing'…" They shivered at that, knowing that it was one of the top Sacred Gears, just below the Longinus, "Luis was so proficient at it, that Hermes himself proclaimed him an equal in terms of speed."

They were shocked, to have an enemy with the speed of one of the Greek Gods, it was immensely terrifying, "Not even Derek was as fast as Luis." Akio added her two cents, prepared to fight.

"Let's not waste any more time, Valper has been doing his thing while we chat…" Aleister spoke in a commanding manner, ordering then, "Griselda, can you fight Luis along with Akio? I am not suited for a fight against him, you and Akio are our best options to stop him."

Griselda nodded, walking towards Akio and stating, "I understand."

"Xenovia and Mike…" The two swordsmen looked at the blackette as he continued, "The rest of us will deal with the Cerberus, when you see a chance, go straight for the priest."

They all nodded and got their stances ready, with Akeno inquiring, "What about Kokabiel?"

Before anyone else could say anything, a strong and powerful voice resounded behind them, making everyone turn to see a young man walking towards them with narrowed eyes, his aura leaking as he stated, "He's mine."

The group felt reinvigorated when they saw their leader, Derek Hamilton, finally here, the boy showing absolutely nothing but power as he floated before the Cadre, leaving the rest of them below, "Let's go!" Aleister screamed and with that, the battle for Luxembourg began.

* * *

"Here, doggie…" Rias muttered as she and Akeno lured one of the Cerberus away from the rest, the foul beast growling menacingly as it showed eagerness to devour the two gorgeous females.

Rias was floating slowly as she acted as bait, the dog leaping towards her but just before it was capable of biting the Gremory, a powerful blast of thunder hit the creature dead on, the dog whimpering as it feel to the ground with some nasty burns on its back.

"Now, now…" Akeno muttered, floating above the creature, wearing her priestess outfit and having a finger in her mouth, biting it with sadistic delight when she added, "Can't have you harming our {King} now, can we?"

The dog shook its head and growled even more dangerously than before, howling loudly before it disappeared in a burst of speed and reappeared right in front of Akeno, the blackette smirking still as the dog was hit by a powerful blast of dark energy, Rias' power of destruction.

The dog screeched in pain before it landed once again on the ground, its tails thrashing violently before it once again tried to bite the two elusive females who continued to dodge its attacks with relative ease.

"Isn't this too easy?" Akeno asked as she floated aside to dodge a slash of the dog's paw, coating her hand with lightning and bringing it down in a chopping manner on the dog's paw, severing it with her power.

The dog cried in pain and jumped away from them, Rias floating beside the blackette when she replied, "These must be some sort of clones, the real Cerberus is a legendary creature, I am sure that we are not dealing with the real one."

The dog ignored the pain and howled at the two conversing females, with Akeno muttering with a sadistic smirk, "Well then, let's enj…"

She couldn't finish her sentence however, because their lover suddenly came crashing down on the beast, the dog crying out even harsher before Derek gritted his teeth and shocking them both when the heir flipped the dog on its back and bit its throat, shredding it in a bloody mess, stating at the two stunned females with irritation clear in his tone, "If you have the power to end your enemy quickly, do it!" He spit the blood that remained in his mouth and his dragon wings flapped, propelling him towards the sky and clashing against Kokabiel in a sensational battle of top-tier beings.

Akeno and Rias remained stunned, wincing at the harsh tone of their mate, "D-Damn…" Akeno muttered, looking at Rias to add worriedly, "W-We angered him, didn't we?"

Rias just sighed and nodded, ashamed of herself and her {Queen} at the moment, this was their biggest problem, arrogance, and they needed to deal with it quickly, "We'll make it up to him…" She added before she looked behind towards her peerage and Aleister to observe their fight, "Let's help them out."

Akeno shook her head and focused again on the fight, flying behind Rias who was heading towards Karlamine, Koneko, Li, Ni and Asia who were fighting against the other Cerberus, while Aleister, in his werewolf form, took care of the last one on his own.

"Take this!" Karlamine screamed before she made a powerful slash on the dog's side, the creature screeching loudly as it used one of its paws to kick Karlamine away.

"Ah!" The Nekomata twins screamed in unison before they used their ki covered fists to hit the two front paws of the dog, the creature focusing back on the two of them.

Just as the creature looked back at the front, Koneko seized the momentary still that her fellow Nekomata left the creature in, and used all of her strength to deliver an upper cut, right on the creatures snout, "Shoo, mutt!" She said emotionlessly as the creature stumbled back, howling while blood flowed down its nose and mouth, some of its canines burying in its palate due to the sheer power that Koneko's hit carried.

Just before Akeno and Rias could finish the dog for good, a sudden growl came behind the two and they turned too late to see the last Cerberus right above them, the two females closing their eyes, waiting for the pain of being devoured to come.

"Where do you think you're going!?" The voice of Aleister Thompson made the two Gremory girls open their eyes to see Aleister coming down on the creature right before it hit them, the wolf-like blackette using his augmented strength to put his weight on the dog's head, successfully driving it to the ground where Aleister wasted no time and dug his claws into the dog's skull, a sickening crunch making everyone wince, for a single moment feeling sorry for the creature that screeched loudly as it shook its head to get rid of Aleister.

The werewolf growled before he focused on the two swordsmen who remained out of the fight, ordering with a booming tone, "Mike, Xenovia, now!"

The two swordsmen nodded and seized the creatures' distraction to head towards Valper and Freed, leaving Aleister and Rias' peerage behind to finish off the dogs.

"Let's end this!" Rias screamed at her peerage who roared a yes and all of them headed towards their respective Cerberus, the creature barely capable of standing on its fit as it still reeled from Koneko's punch.

Aleister smirked when he heard his Cerberus howling below him, the usually cheerful young man lifting his free hand and with a scream, he dug it on Cerberus' skull, right beside his other hand. The creature howled even more before Aleister, in a show of strength, ripped apart the skull and once a big opening was left, he grabbed a grenade from his belt and tossed it inside the beast's skull, jumping just a second before it exploded, the head of the dog turning into a disgusting mess of blood and liquefied brain.

"Two down, one left." The werewolf muttered before he heard the dying howl of the last Cerberus, signalling its demise. Aleister then looked above to the raging fight of Derek and Kokabiel, whistling as he had to admit that despite his handicap, Kokabiel was still the fierce and dangerous opponent he remembered vividly.

* * *

"So…" Griselda muttered as she and Akio warily stood before the zombified male who so far hadn't even moved an inch from his place, the once alive person only looking at the two women with hollow eyes, his face dead to the world, only his incredibly oppressive aura let them know that he was alive, sort of, "How do we fight him?" The powerful exorcist inquired as she branded her lightsword, her guard already up and her battle suit ready for action.

Akio inhaled deeply and recovered her wits, the sight of someone she shared so much being used as a foul ghoul made her almost vomit in disgust, wanting nothing more than to turn Kokabiel into small pieces. But knowing that her Boss was already engaged with the cursed Cadre, the booming of their fight resounding throughout the Academy, attesting their level, she focused on her old teammate and replied with eyes narrowed, "I don't know to what extent does this… creature… can use Luis' power…" She refused to acknowledge it as her teammate, Luis was dead and that's how she saw it, "But to put it simply, don't exert your eyes…" She eyed the confused nun, adding an explanation, "You won't be able to catch his movements, he's just too fast."

Griselda frowned and tensed when Luis started walking towards them, tentatively, the female muttering a question, "Then how am I supposed to follow his moves."

Akio cursed under her breath, preparing her mantra enchantments, storing her power in her preferred leg, adding quickly, "Trust your senses, your ears mostly…" She leaned on and prepared for any move the zombie might do, the blackette woman adding, "He's not capable of being silent when he runs, the noise he makes is the only way for us to dodge his attacks."

Griselda was about to ask something else but she and Akio suddenly had to jump away from each other when their senses warned them of danger.

The two were just in time to dodge Luis, who in a streak of white light, appeared right where they once stood, his fist crashing on the ground, bolts of lightning releasing from it in random directions.

"Dammit…" Akio cursed before she landed, adding under her breath, "It can use Luis' lightning attacks." That was what made her old teammate so dangerous, his speed was the main danger, but the fact that Luis managed to utilise the energy he created with his speed to turn it into a weapon, similar to what Akeno could do, was what made him a god-killer.

"Holy Lord…" Griselda muttered when she had to dodge another burst of speed from Luis, barely capable of avoiding a fatal hit from the former Ghost, not capable of avoiding all the damage since the zombie's lightning managed to reach her, burning a little bit of her left arm, "G-God… he's powerful…" She muttered once she landed next to Akio, completely at a loss with how to defeat the creature.

"It…" Akio corrected, noticing the zombie's muscles flinching. She quickly used her super-human strength to stomp her foot on the ground, creating a shake that made Luis stumble on his step, Akio stomping the ground again, lifting a large rock and kicking it towards the zombie's direction, the rock hitting the target and making Luis skid back some metres, "Listen, this creature is not as tough as the real Luis…" Akio stated, much to Griselda's surprise, "But it can use most of Luis' abilities, meaning that it should also share Luis' biggest weakness."

Griselda heard the zombie moaning eerily before its body got covered in lightning and in a flash, disappeared. Only because she was already a little familiar with it's tactics, was Griselda capable of knowing what it was going to do.

Both nun and Akio jumped away from each other, the zombie once again appearing where they were, a powerful blast of lightning hitting the ground, throwing rocks and dust all over the place, "Which is!?" Griselda screamed her question, trying to deliver a slash to the zombie but it disappeared before she could land it.

Akio cursed when she barely managed to dodge Luis, the zombie leaving a bad bruise on her stomach since it landed an attack, Akio surviving just because she transferred her mantra enchantment to her abdomen just in time, the magic absorbing most of the attack.

Akio landed close to Griselda, replying quickly, "Luis is not capable of changing direction when he speeds!…" Griselda nodded, having noticed that already, with Akio adding, "This is the plan, make it focus on you and make sure to land a slash on its legs, it'll slow it down and allow me to end it with my most powerful hit."

Griselda nodded and jumped at the creature, the nun delivering a slash on its back, making the zombie screech before it focused on her, a flash of light covering the creature, alerting Griselda of an incoming attack.

Akio observed as Griselda managed to keep the zombie's attention, though she was starting to have a lot of trouble due to the exhaustion that being at the defensive brought, more so when your opponent was someone with the speed of a god.

But just before Akio managed to finish charging her leg with all of her current magic, Griselda was successful in landing a powerful slash on the zombie's legs, though it left the nun opened for a direct attack since she used all of her energy in that move.

But just after Luis screeched and burst in another flash of light, speeding towards the tired Griselda, though now at eye's speed thanks to Griselda's hit, Akio appeared right before the tired nun and with a loud scream, she poured all of her energy in a kick, straight at Luis' head, completely shattering the creature's skull and sending its body bouncing on the ground for a couple of metres before it crashed on the gym, apparently down for the count.

Both Akio and Griselda breathed harshly, the two women on their knees, almost depleted of all energy, "Dammit… I f-forgot how tricky it was to f-fight Luis…" Akio muttered in between gasps, her body aching as it needed energy that it currently didn't had, the woman now remembering how painful and tiring was to fight against her old team, it was no wonder why they were feared throughout the world.

Griselda could only nod her agreement, never in her life had she been so close to death as she was in this fight, and she was fighting a watered down version of the real thing. And as for the records of the Church stated, the second strongest Ghost, she could only shiver at the thought of facing Derek Hamilton.

The two then looked up after a powerful burst of energy was released, their eyes widening when they saw the two strongest beings in the field going at it like rabid dogs, their power making it difficult to breathe.

"I see… I understand now!…" A male voice brought their attention to Valper and Freed, the former stating with a mad smirk as if a shattering realisation just hit him.

* * *

Derek floated until he was hovering right before the ten-winged Fallen Angel, his eyes calm and narrowed, showing nothing of the intense hot anger that coursed through his veins at the sight of the man responsible for almost causing his sister irreparable damage. Had he been a lesser man, Derek would've lashed out at the Cadre, allowing his anger to dictate his moves, but he was a veteran, the Hamilton already knew well what he was supposed to do in such situations but despite his confidence, Derek knew that no opponent should ever be underestimated.

"Hamilton." Kokabiel muttered with barely contained hatred, his severed arm twitching at the memory of their fight. It infuriated the Cadre that a human, albeit with one of the most powerful Sacred Gears in existence, was capable of defeating him in such humiliating manner, the battle ending with Kokabiel losing an arm and having to retreat after somebody else crashed their dance.

"Kokabiel…" Derek muttered back with a calm tone, crossing his arms while his eerie crimson aura surrounded him, stating after a pause, "You're getting quite reckless, my one-armed friend."

Kokabiel gritted his teeth at the silverette's jab, his aura flaring dangerously since he could no longer contain his hatred for the Hamilton, stating with eyes narrowed, "Don't get cocky, you brat!…" He pointed at the Hamilton, his eyes shining a bright red when he added, "You caught me off guard back then but now! Now I know all about you and your power!"

Derek smirked, black markings starting to cover his body while his aura started to show more, stating with a mocking tone, "If you say that, then you should know by now that I will be victorious in this fight."

Kokabiel created a spear of light, saying heatedly, "I don't care if I have to revive every single pet you owned! I don't care if I have to kill the people below you and bring them back to fight you! I don't care who I have to ally myself with!…" Kokabiel then lunged at him with a boom, his speed being as formidable as his power should be, screaming on the way, "But mark my words, Hamilton! I. WILL. KILL YOU!"

Derek smirked and with shocking speed, drew his Excalibur out and parried the Cadre's spear, the boy mocking as the two stayed in a stalemate, "Brings back memories, doesn't it?" He nodded at the Holy Sword that he used to cut Kokabiel's arm.

Kokabiel's face turned into that of a madman after the mock, the Cadre screaming enraged when he put his whole strength on the push.

Derek gritted his teeth when he felt the power of the Cadre rising, knowing that if he wanted to defeat him, Derek needed to get serious for this fight, "About time I got to release some serious stress…" Derek muttered before he pushed back a little, Kokabiel thrown back for a moment before Derek disappeared in a red flash and reappeared behind the Cadre, delivering a powerful slash on the fallen's back.

Kokabiel winced internally but showed no pain, turning in a second and slashing his spear on Derek's midsection, the silverette forced to disappear again to avoid the hit, "That… annoying… technique… of yours!" Kokabiel muttered as he flew towards Derek, once again the two locked in a stalemate before they started a dance of slash after slash, sparks flying around while their auras grew in intensity.

In a move that caught Derek off guard, Kokabiel let Excalibur graze his arm and using Derek's momentum, he turned it to his advantage and leaned to the side, Derek incapable of stopping his movement, giving Kokabiel a wide berth to deliver a powerful knee to his stomach, forcing the Hamilton to grunt before Kokabiel used his elbow to hit the Hamilton's back, sending him flying to the ground.

Derek only had the time to turn upwards and land with his feet on a Cerberus head, the dog whimpering under his feet as it cushioned the Hamilton's fall. Derek shook his head and quickly turned towards two of his women, Rias and Akeno, who were both stunned to see him. He then got angry at seeing that they were toying with Cerberus, something it infuriated him because one day it may cost them greatly, "If you have the power to end your opponent quickly, then do it!" Derek stated irately before he turned the Cerberus on its back with an impressive show of strength, the Hamilton wasting no time and bringing his sharp teeth on the dog's throat, shredding it after.

Derek ignored the sour taste of fresh meat and blood and spat it out, giving his mates a last glance before his wings sprouted and flapped, propelling him upwards with booming speed.

Kokabiel growled when he saw the Hamilton coming, the Cadre quickly stretching his body and using his power, created a large number of light spears around him, "Die!" The once Angel said with the face of a lunatic, throwing his arm towards the oncoming Derek and releasing all of the spears on him.

Derek though, remained unflinching as the onslaught came, showing how much he's grown as he skilfully surfed through the spears, wincing when a couple of them did managed to touch his skin, drawing some blood.

Kokabiel certainly expected many things from the British soldier, but he never expected Derek to actually use himself as a projectile, using his head to crash against the Cadre's stomach, eliciting blood from the elder's mouth.

Derek then hugged Kokabiel's waist and used his wings to rotate their positions, using the momentum of the spin to throw Kokabiel to the ground, a ball of energy already formed on his hand, shooting it at the falling Cadre without wasting time.

Kokabiel put a magical barrier to protect himself from the shot. It worked but due to its incredible power, the Grigori ex-leader was propelled to the ground with even more strength thanks to the shockwave of the attack. Kokabiel landed on his back with a painful crunch, "Argh!" The madman muttered as blood flowed from his mouth, multiple injuries throughout his body.

The Cadre gritted his teeth when his senses warned him of danger, forcing him to quickly get on his feet and dodge Derek's landing, the boy now clad in a red armour that he knew well, "To know that despite using my full power during all of this fight, you are just now using your full potential…" Kokabiel balled his fists with such frustration that it drew blood, adding with untold hatred, "It's humiliating!"

"You've never trained in your life, Kokabiel…" Derek's voice was heard coming from behind the helmet, the figure of the Hamilton now even more imposing and eerie as he added, "I've never stopped training, this is the difference between us!"

Derek then again disappeared in flash of red light and reappeared right before Kokabiel head-butting him with such strength that he was sure he broke a little bit of Kokabiel's skull.

"ARGH!" Kokabiel grunted when he crashed against a couple of trees, moving his head to the side to avoid a punch from the Hamilton. Kokabiel then seized Derek's movement and with his feet, he drove his body towards Derek and returned the head-butt on the human's stomach, forcing Derek to grunt as he too vomited a little bit of blood, though only skidding a couple of steps back.

Kokabiel then took off back to the skies, floating with an enraged look as he prepared to launch another assault on the Hamilton.

Derek floated as well, hovering some metres away from the Cadre, ready for anything he might throw.

But before any of them could do anything, Valper's loud proclaim made them look below to see that the Cerberus were defeated, Luis was down for good and Freed was badly beaten, unconscious on the ground some steps away from Michael and Xenovia, the bluenette now wielding the legendary sword known as Durandal while Michael had a new sword that Derek could feel, oozed both holy and demonic energy.

"I see!…" Valper stated with maniac glee as he eyed intently Michael's newly named 'Sword of Betrayer', a sword that held both holy and demonic magic, something that shouldn't be possible, "I understand now! How something like this could happen!"

Michael and the rest narrowed their eyes in confusion at that, the blond knight asking, "What are you talking about?"

Valper smiled widely, pointing at Michael's new Balance Breaker to answer, "I'm talking about your sword…" Everybody felt even more confused, so the archbishop continued, "The combination of holy and demonic energies shouldn't be possible, it's a contradiction to life itself! That is exactly what God is here for, to balance the powers of light and dark…" Valper then smirked even wider, adding, "Yet, here it is, a sword that holds both energies, obviously clashing with what I just said."

"What are you getting at?" Xenovia asked impatiently, her Durandal humming dangerously as it felt the anger of its owner.

Valper laughed loudly, stating between laughs, "Isn't it obvious!?…" He opened his arms, adding, "If something like this…" He pointed at Michael's sword, "Happened, then it can only mean one thing!…" He focused on the people before him and said with maniacal glee, "It can only mean that G…"

Everybody was shocked when Valper was suddenly hit by a bullet-like projectile, the bullet of energy going through the archbishop's brain with ease, killing the man instantly, whatever he was about to say, gone with him to the afterlife.

"D-Derek?…" Rias whispered as she and the rest turned towards the culprit of the shot, stunned to see Derek's hand outstretched towards Valper, his hand forming a gun.

Derek cursed himself for not catching on what Valper was about to say earlier, the archbishop was about to reveal something that was not convenient for anybody, not now at least. But his own anger distracted him from keeping tabs on everybody, a mistake that he was about to pay when Kokabiel laughed with equal lunacy.

"Hahaha!…" Kokabiel's laugh attracted everyone's attention, the man seemingly oblivious to his serious injuries as he added with a booming tone, "That Valper was certainly a smart idiot!…" He then stopped laughing, noticing how Derek seemed to know what he was about to say and leaned slightly, trying to stop him before he could reveal the secret, "Why don't I tell you what Valper found out!?"

Just as the Cadre thought, Derek disappeared in a flash and reappeared behind him, trying to stop him from saying a thing. But Kokabiel was a veteran and with invigorated speed, he turned around and caught Derek's foot with his remaining arm, using Derek's momentum against him to throw him towards the ground, the British warrior crashing in the soil after.

Knowing that Derek was going to recover quickly, Kokabiel spilled the beans, "Don't you see it! There is such an imbalance with light and dark energy because there is no one left to oversee it!"

Some of Derek's allies seemed to be catching on as their mouths started to open, but most of them remained confused.

Derek though, cursed as he stood up, knowing that it was too late since he could see that Rias, Akeno, Akio, Aleister and Griselda, seemed to get what the Cadre was saying.

"W-What?…" Griselda inquired, stunned, her legs shaking, dread filling her heart.

It only intensified as the Cadre continued, "Haha! Lucifer was here to control the flow of demonic energy, he was the one that insured that only his 'children' could use it…" Kokabiel then smirked, "But he died in the war and the task, fell onto his father, God…" He chuckled, enjoying the faces that everybody started to develop, deciding to just get on with it and say it, "But now that _dear_ God is dead, there is no one left to keep the balance!"

Kokabiel's laugh was the only thing that could be heard in the Academy, those who did not know the truth, completely stunned for different reasons. The ones more affected however, were without a doubt Xenovia and Griselda, the former whispering stunned.

"N-No…" Xenovia had to use her sword to hold herself together, adding, "Y-You're l-lying…"

Kokabiel enjoyed the despair that the revelation caused in the followers of God, a blonde girl passing out in the arms of the werewolf, while the exorcist could barely hold it together, Griselda being the one keeping her wits the best, "Well…" He started saying, focusing on Derek as he added, "Why don't we ask one of the head honchos, huh? Am I lying, Hamilton?"

Derek sighed deeply when he felt the eyes of everyone bored on the back of his head, knowing that there was no avoiding it now. The world will learn of God's demise no matter what he did to try to stop it.

"D-Derek…" Griselda's weak voice was heard, the nun adding her whispered question, "I-Is it… t-true?…"

Derek remained silent for a moment before he resigned and replied dryly, "Yes…" His answer practically finished them off, as they all knew that he was not one to lie, "God supposedly perished a couple of months after Lucifer did, it appears that the first devil was successful in killing his father, since God died due to the injuries he sustained in his fight against Lucifer."

Xenovia could only look at the ground, her heart shattering as all of her beliefs were being shattered by the revelation. Aleister, being a man of god himself, felt shocked as well but managed to maintain his front, if only to ensure that Asia, who was fainted in his arms, was okay.

Griselda though, took some weak steps towards the human, whispering, "B-But… h-his blessings, h-his love…" She refused to believe what she already knew to be true, continuing after gathering more strength, "I c-can feel it!… w-where… w-where is it c-coming from then!?"

Derek replied as he looked at them over his shoulder, "Michael…" They widened their eyes at the mention of the most powerful angel, the Hamilton continuing, "He's the one in charge of Heaven now."

Kokabiel laughed again, adding to Derek's words, "That gentle fool has been doing a good job, I'll give him that!…" He then gritted his teeth, his aura now surrounded by anger again as he commented, his fist tightening into a ball, "That's why it infuriates me! Lucifer is dead! God is dead! Both devils and angels have lost their gods! We could wipe them out once and for all! But Azazel refuses! He wants peace! He wants unity even!…" His aura then increased, the dangerous Kokabiel now back when he concluded, "It boils my fucking blood!"

Derek's aura shot up as well, matching the oppressiveness of Kokabiel's and after a moment, surpassing it, **_"You can't use your teleportation again, hatchling."_ **Ddraig reminded the Hamilton grimly.

Derek clicked his tongue after the reminder, angry at himself for still being incapable of fully utilising his most powerful technique in a long battle. Many people believed that Derek's 'flash' technique was all about speed, but they are wrong. The British is by no means faster the Luis, his teleportation. In fact relies in the 'Wormhole theory', only in a much minor scale. But basically, the heir utilises his power to open a rift in space, he steps into the rift and opens another one back into the world to reappear, all of that in the blink of an eye. The flash, is simply to stun the opponent.

The problem was though, that he was incapable of withstanding the strain the technique left him with for more than a couple of uses, if he overdoes it, then his body will succumb and he will be risking his organs shutting down due to the pressure that space-travel puts on the user, it was basically a double-edged sword.

"Then I'll have to use your power to the fullest." The royal muttered under his breath before he crouched and leaped off, leaving a trail of dust in his wake due to the speed in which he flew.

Kokabiel created a barrier to stop the heir, it worked for a moment but Derek managed to go through it, Kokabiel gritting his teeth when he received an upper cut a second after, "You damn!" Kokabiel muttered while he managed to leave a foot on Derek's helmet before he was sent flying due the punch.

The two leader-class beings hovered for a couple of tense seconds before they lunged at each other, locking themselves in a battle of pure physical attacks.

"Argh!" Kokabiel muttered when Derek landed a heavy punch on his gut.

"Shit." Derek then added when Kokabiel twisted his hand and fissured the wrist.

Those below the two warring men, could only stare in awe as they observed two beings that far surpassed them. On one hand, they were witnessing the power of a legendary creature like Kokabiel, someone recorded in the Bible and a leader of the Grigori. But for the most part, they were all at awe as they saw Derek releasing his true strength, which was in their honest opinions, absolutely ridiculous.

"ARGH!…" Kokabiel screamed when Derek managed to skid behind him and used Nightmare to severe three wings from the Cadre's back, the ex-Grigori flying away to put some distance between them, his face that of a complete madman as he stated, "I've had it! You, everyone, die right now!" The Cadre lifted his remaining hand and a spear of light was created, the weapon suddenly growing at alarming speeds until it settled in a projectile capable of destroying a good part of the Academy, if not all of it.

Derek brought a hand forward and after a couple of seconds, a rather large ball of thick black energy was rapidly spinning, releasing a humming sound that sent shivers down everyone's spine.

Everybody kept their breaths in check as they prepared for what it seemed to be the last attack, not knowing if they would be capable to survive the clash of the two over-powered attacks.

Rias though, heard the voice of Ddraig inside her mind, confusing her for a moment as to why was she hearing him but put that to the back of her head in order to heed his word, "Everyone, on me!" She ordered and everyone surrounded her, the Gremory looking at Akeno who nodded and the two created their most powerful barrier, hoping that Sona was capable of withstanding the blast from the outside.

Above, Derek kept his unflinching gaze on Kokabiel, inhaling as he prepared his plan. He had felt Vali entering the barrier, though he was a little confused since he apparently fazed through it, but now that the Vanishing Dragon was here, Derek could trust that his rival will absorb the explosion, leaving him free to end Kokabiel without worrying about his people.

"DIE!" Kokabiel finally released his attack and the spear flew straight at the Hamilton who wasted no time and shot his attack as well.

Time seemed to stop for everyone as the two attacks approached, but the people below were beyond shocked when Derek disappeared in his signature flash and reappeared behind Kokabiel, who was too crazed to even notice the heir, a mistake that cost him a Holy Sword going through his stomach.

The attacks hit one another and exploded, but before they could expand, a bright sphere surrounded them and after a couple of struggling moments, the explosion slowly faded, leaving a group of very confused people.

"W-What…" Kokabiel muttered before he had to cough up a lot of blood, his energy leaving him after putting everything he had on that attack, his eyes closing and after a moment, his conscious faded.

"You lost." Derek muttered before he took Nightmare out of the Cadre's body, looking as the warmonger feel to the ground with a resounding thud.

Derek then deactivated his armour and flew down to Kokabiel, a line of blood running down his lips, his heart beating with some trouble due to overusing the teleportation. It was a gamble he knew, but it paid off.

He then approached the unconscious fallen angel and once he stood above him, Derek pointed Nightmare's tip on the man's chest, lifting the sword slightly before he let it fall to kill the Cadre once and for all.

But, an armoured hand stopped him, grabbing his wrist and keeping the sword away from Kokabiel's heart, "Vali." Derek muttered with narrowed eyes, demanding an explanation from his rival and friend.

Vali smirked behind his helmet, feeling the eyes of Derek's comrades boring in their backs, obviously surprised to see the two Heavenly Dragons reunited in this place, "Sorry Derek, but Azazel wants a word with him." The White Dragon Emperor said, not at all fazed by Derek's anger.

The British royal kept his eerie blues on his fellow silverette, the area silent as the two stared at the other, unflinching, "Do you trust him?" Derek inquired, still annoyed.

Surprising him, Vali replied without missing a beat, "With my life."

Derek remained silent for a couple of seconds, showing no emotion. That is until he tsked and turned away, walking towards Valper, stating, "Take him then, but I expect compensation for this."

Vali huffed but nodded, throwing Kokabiel on his shoulder and without another word, he left.

Derek then stopped when he reached the body of Valper, looking at the supposedly dead Freed for a moment before he pointed two fingers at him and a second later, a ball of energy shot towards the ex-priest's head, a surprised gasp being the only thing coming off from the man before he died.

"D-Derek…" The voice Aleister brought his attention to his side to see that everyone was starting to celebrate their victory, Rias having a moment with Michael who deeply apologised while the rest of their allies arrived. The only ones keeping quiet, were Griselda and Xenovia, Asia still unconscious.

Derek sighed as he picked up the cores of the broken Excalibur, looking at them before he focused on his two subordinates, Aleister and Akio, stating, "Aleister, have Sona clean this place up, tell her I'll return the favour later…" The blackette nodded and went his way to do as told, silent, "Akio, make sure that Griselda and Xenovia head straight to my house."

Akio raised an eyebrow as she observed her boss walking towards the headless corpse of Luis, inquiring, "What do you want with them?"

Derek's only response, was, "An opportunity has shown itself." With that, he picked his late subordinate's body and headed towards the ORC, Akio knowing that he was going to examine whatever was done to Luis.

Akio just sighed and turned towards the two shattered women, hoping that whatever Derek had in mind for the two of them, was not something that will end up breaking them even more.

* * *

" _Mm, well, could've ended worse, I'd say._ " The voice of one Jonathan Hamilton said through the phone once Derek finished reporting today's events to the patriarch. While the human leader was not displeased, he was certainly unpleased with Kokabiel revealing God's true fate, simply because it was bound to bring a lot of annoying events.

"I guess…" Derek replied as he stepped out of his car and closed the door, adding while he made his way to his house, "But, this will either work on our favour or against us, it all depends on how Sirzechs, Michael and Azazel respond."

" _Indeed, we can only wait and see… in the end, the incident was still fought in our territory, so we will have the last say…_ " Jonathan replied and after a pause, added, " _As for the body of Luis, I will inform you of our findings as soon as we get them, this so called 'technique' cannot go unchecked._ "

Derek nodded and bid his grandfather goodbye as he entered his house, it was already late, past midnight, the report he had to write had taken quite a lot of his time, that and a conversation with Rias' and Sona's peerage took the rest of his day.

But now, there was one last thing he needed to deal with before he called the night, "Griselda, Xenovia…" Derek acknowledged the two females who sat on his couch, the women's eyes showing how shattered their souls were at the moment. The heir grabbed a bottle of whisky and three glasses, pouring himself a big one and after he looked at the two exorcists, he offered, "Fancy some?"

Xenovia shook her head, refusing the offer, but looked at her mentor and guardian with a confused look when Griselda nodded and accepted the drink, the blond exorcist sighing before she said to Xenovia, "Don't look at me like that, Xenovia…" She sipped the whole drink at once, groaning as the burning liquid ran through her throat, adding after a small cough, "I n-needed that."

Derek sipped some of his drink and then sat before the two females, the followers of God looking at him intently when he started speaking, "I am not going to try and pretend that I empathize with you…" They were shocked at his bluntness, but the Hamilton continued undeterred, "I am not a man of God, I am sure you know that by now."

They certainly did, someone with his curriculum, was the opposite of what a man of God was supposed to be, "Then…" Griselda started speaking, inquiring after a pause, "What is it that you wanted to discuss with us?"

Derek leaned back, placing a leg on top of the other and replied with a cold gaze, "Your future."

Griselda and Xenovia widened their eyes at those words, the younger of the two stuttering stunned, "W-What?"

"What a-are you talking about, Mr Hamilton?" Griselda asked with a slight suspicion.

Derek sipped more of the whisky before he replied dryly, "Despite knowing that God is dead, do you still believe in him?…" The two women surprised him when they nodded immediately, he was expecting that they did, but he didn't thought they still held the same devotion, "And would you still follow the Church?"

Both females stopped there, not capable of answering right away. It was foolish to deny it, Xenovia has seen the crimes her side has committed, case and point the Holy Sword Project, she could now see that the absence of God has been affecting the Church already and corruption has spread, so many cases of pederasty, greed, lust, they were becoming more and more common within the followers of God. Now that she knew that God was not here to instil faith, it did made her stop for a moment.

For Griselda, it was worse, she has been a servant of the Church longer than Xenovia and Irina and thanks to her status as one of the top agents of Heaven on earth, she knew more of the situations that went on the Church. She has had to go to a lot of mission that required her to clean a huge mess made by her fellow comrades, things she's seen that have made her question her own vows more than once. She has always put her faith in God however, trusting the Lord to guide her and put everything back in its place, but now that she knew he was absent, things were completely different.

"I w-would." Xenovia whispered after the long silence, her voice carrying the reluctance her heart had at the moment.

Griselda inhaled and then locked her blue eyes to Derek, saying with a small voice, "I would as well…" She wasn't foolish though, so she added with a bitter snort, "If they accept us, that is."

Xenovia looked at her guardian with a very confused look, asking, "S-Sister G-Griselda… what are you talking about?"

Griselda surprised Derek when she looked at him almost pleadingly, as if relegating the task of explaining it to Xenovia. The Hamilton didn't blamed her though, he knew that the woman was only putting up a tough front, her heart was even more shattered than Xenovia's, "What Griselda meant with that, Xenovia…" Derek forced the bluenette to look at him as he continued, "Is that you two, are going to be excommunicated."

Xenovia's eyes widened, unbelieving, looking at her mentor who only took her gaze away from Xenovia, the bluenette uttering, "T-That's impossible! W-We're still devoted to G-God!"

"It doesn't matter, Xenovia…" Griselda spoke, her voice breaking as she continued, "The same thing happened to Asia Argento, she was no heretic, she didn't knew she was healing a devil…" Xenovia's eyes widened even more as her mentor added, "But if word got out that her power was capable of healing devils, then questions will rise, inquiries that our faction is not capable of answering."

"W-Why?…" Was all Xenovia could whisper.

"Because…" Derek was the one that spoke, "The answers will take away Heaven's credibility, those who follow the teachings of God will stop praying and Heaven will slowly loose its power, eventually leading to a fatal error in the system that controls the Sacred Gears, something that could lead to utter chaos."

Xenovia could only stare agape as she started to understand what the two meant, her heart still tried to deny it but her brain saw the logic in those words, "So?…" She whispered, still unbelieving.

"We will either be branded as crazy heretics…" Griselda replied bitterly, adding with a hollow tone, "Or the Church will silence us."

That made Xenovia slump back in the couch, her mind struggling to keep up with the revelations of the day, completely lost at what to do now.

Griselda felt like a failure for not having answers, mainly because she loved Xenovia deeply, she wanted the best for her but their situation seemed hopeless. That is until she remembered the beginning of the conversation, "You have a proposal for us, then?" She asked the Hamilton, she couldn't change the past but she was determined to do everything she could to protect Xenovia, and only the man before them could do that, so she prepared herself to accept anything he requested of her, all for Xenovia's sake.

Derek drank the rest of his beverage before he leaned forward and replied, "It's impossible to know what will happened after this, the truth of God will spill like water no matter what we do to contain it, there were many people watching that fight from afar…" That surprised the two exorcists, "Only time will tell, but there are two outcomes to this; one, the three Biblical Factions come forward and date a discussion to see how to move forward…" He leaned back, crossing his hands as he added, "Or Heaven will deny the claims and they will call for retribution, restarting the war."

Griselda and Xenovia remained quiet, absorbing it all, with the oldest one saying, "So what do you want from us? Can you protect Xenovia?"

Xenovia was shocked to hear that from the woman that has taken care of her since she was a child, the bluenette getting worried of her declaration since she had no idea what will the Hamilton do to her. He didn't seemed like a depraved man, but he did seemed like the kind of the man that ran a very, very shady operation.

"Yes, but I want the two of you, not just you…" Derek replied, earning a worried glance from Griselda as he continued, "Simply put, I want an agent inside the Church, someone that answers to me and only me."

The two exorcists widened their eyes, with Xenovia stating a little angrily, "You can't honestly expect us to betray Heaven for you!?"

Just as Griselda was about to add her two cents, she gasped and felt the urge to get on her knees when Derek's eyes turned into something of legend, something that shook her very core, "Xenovia…" Griselda whispered, the young one looking at her with a confused gaze as the blonde nun ordered calmly, "Do as he says."

Xenovia was extremely confused, Griselda was acting like a complete stranger after she looked at Derek. For a moment, she thought that the Hamilton was manipulating her in some way but she could tell that Griselda was there, nothing was clouding her mind, "S-Sister?…" The bluenette whispered stunned.

Griselda ignored her however, in exchange for asking the Hamilton that she now saw with a completely different eye, "Y-You don't want to d-destroy Heaven, do you?" The question was more for Xenovia's sake since she already knew the answer.

Derek shook his head, focusing on Xenovia when he replied, "No, all I want from you, is to let me know if the Church seems to be planning something violent against anyone, humanity in specific…" He leaned on, adding, "You don't have to betray them or do something against your beliefs, all I want from you is to keep an eye open and make sure that you let me know if things start to get sour in your end."

Knowing that Xenovia was still not too convinced, Griselda stood up and said to her charge, "Xenovia, let's talk in private, okay?…" Xenovia only nodded and started walking towards the other house, the one they were staying at, with Griselda remaining behind for a moment, asking with a whisper, "Y-You… you d-didn't showed her your… e-eyes… did you?" She had no idea how to talk to him after this.

Derek shook his head, answering, "She's not ready, few are…" Griselda could only nod as Derek continued, "Go, convince her and then come back to me, I shall explain your role in the events to come."

Griselda nodded and then bowed, keeping her questions to herself for the moment, knowing that they will get answers in time.

Derek just sighed before he served more whisky on his glass, drinking it all in one shot and mumbling to himself, "A dangerous game indeed." With that, he walked towards his room to check on Irina, intending on having a good rest to prepare for the day to come, more specifically, Irina's goodbye.

* * *

"So…" Irina mumbled, biting her lip, her fingers twiddling nervously as she stood before the man she was once sure she loved. The feeling was still there, but this man was not her Derek, though she still had the hope that the one thing she loved, was still in there.

"So…" Derek muttered dryly, his arms crossed while his body leaned slightly to the side, waiting for Irina to say her piece.

At their side, some steps away from them, Griselda and Xenovia were having their own goodbyes, the bluenette now convinced to act as Derek's agent inside the Church's ranks. Though it took a lot of promises to convince her, including one in which she would be free to side against him, if he ever did something against her beliefs or Griselda.

Irina was very disappointed and confused by Griselda's sudden decision to leave the Church, she had no idea what happened during Kokabiel's fight, because she knew that something happened there that shattered Griselda's faith. She could also see some cracks in Xenovia, but the latter's loyalty remained with the Church, which made it all the more confusing.

But, turning back to her own situation with the Hamilton, Irina looked down on the ground and whispered, "Y-You… I w-want…" She struggled for a moment, incapable of finding the right words, "I d-don't want to… l-lose you… again…" She finally said it, her eyes closed to hold back her tears, her heart heavy and confused.

Derek sighed, this sort of emotional situation being something way out of his field of expertise. But still, regardless of what he made it out to be, Irina was someone very important to him, the bubbly woman was the one that brought that light in his childhood, the warmth that contrasted his cold. No matter how long it passed, she was and will always be his best friend.

So, surprising her, Derek patted her head and muttered, his face still impassive, "You won't…" Irina's eyes widened when he gave her a card with his personal number in it, giving it to her while he added, "You know where I live and if you ever need me, just focus on the mark in your shoulder-blade and I will be there in a flash, no matter what."

Irina could only stare at the handsome man with wide eyes, her heart beating like crazy once she realised that Derek may be a completely different man, but just like Rias said, what made her fall in love with him was definitely there, showing itself right now, albeit subtly.

She only smiled a little and rubbed her shoulder, where Derek had placed a tattoo-like seal that allowed them to keep track of each other. It took a lot of pleading from her, Alice and Emily adding their pressure on him to put the seal. He eventually caved in and did it, much to Irina's happiness.

"Are you ready, Irina?" Xenovia's voice won the brunette's attention.

Irina closed her eyes and wiped the tears that fell, convincing herself that no matter what, this was not going to be the last time she meets her best friend, now that she has found him, there was no way she will lose him again. Though, due to Irina closing her eyes, she was unable to see the small nod Xenovia send Derek, who nodded in reply.

Irina sighed and nodded, her small smile remaining as she answered her companion, "Yes, I am…" She eyed the briefcase that Xenovia was carrying, with the shards that made four Excalibur, Derek allowing them to take the swords belonging to his family back to the Church, with only Nightmare and Ruler remaining untouchable, "W-Well then, it's been… nice… t-to see you again, Dek…" She stole a hug, burying her face on his shoulder, keeping his warmth and scent in her mind to give her strength for the events to come, "D-Don't be a stranger, kay?"

Derek snorted but nodded slightly, observing as the two exorcists eyed Griselda one last time and soon after, made their way to the plane, their time to head back to the Vatican already here.

Derek and Griselda remained silent for a moment, the woman capable of holding her front until Xenovia and Irina were out of sight. She broke down in tears then, she wasn't so afraid of the future, but it still hurt to see the little girl she considered a sister leave, as well as the pain of knowing that her whole life, was now in a whole different direction.

Derek sighed, muttering with his eyes kept at the front, "Will you manage?" He didn't meant to sound so apathetic, but he just couldn't help it, his voice and attitude were already like that.

Griselda inhaled deeply, managing to stop her tears and regain her wits, replying with a whisper, "I w-will…" She then looked at Derek and bowed, adding, "T-Thank you for protecting X-Xenovia, M-Master."

Derek sighed annoyed, stating, "Don't revere me, Griselda…" The woman looked at him surprised, Derek adding as he started making his way back to the car, "I am not your God."

Griselda shook her head and quickly fell into step, adding with a stutter, "B-But…"

Derek cut her off however, saying a little annoyed, "I am not them, I can assure you that…" Griselda was taken aback by the boy's bitterness but choose to stay quiet, now knowing that he did not liked comparisons with those two, "Now let's go, there's still much to do."

Griselda nodded and got in Derek's car with him, this whole mission may have turned her whole world upside down, but she couldn't deny that there was reassurance in knowing that one way or another, her Lord was still guiding her path even in his absence.

* * *

 **A/N: There ya have it! I hope you liked it! Now in case you're wondering, I am going to leave Ghosts' power levels right here, in the story, Derek is not entirely sure how strong he truly is, but I'll confirm it here. With that said, thank you for reading and I'll see ya lads later, cheers!**

 **Aleister:** The weakest of the five, his level it's equivalent to an Ultimate-class devil, he could take on someone like Diehauser Belial by himself.

 **Akio:** The fourth in strength, she is at the par with Kuroka in this story. Bare in mind that here, Kuroka has received a boost of power, both from training under Derek and their bond as mates. So Akio could make the weakest Satan, Falbium, struggle. She is originally from the Trinity Seven manga.

 **Niko:** Physically, he was the strongest of the five, he was at the par with Tannin. Niko was capable of fighting Asmodeus in equal footing.

 **Luis:** The second strongest, though physically, he was the weakest. Due to his speed, he was the most dangerous of them, barring Derek, since he acted as a rogue and utilised one-kill techniques. His prowess with his speed, made him capable of having a chance to take down Serafall.

 **Derek:** The strongest human being in history. Thanks to him merging with Ddraig, Derek became a new Heavenly Dragon, meaning that his raw power, surpasses that of even Sirzechs. The problem is though, that Derek is incapable of controlling his full power, so he can't be counted as one of the top ten. He could defeat Ajuka, perhaps even Rizevim. As for Sirzechs, Derek could defeat him in his normal state, but if Sirzechs goes into his true form, then Derek has little chance to defeat him.


	10. Fix You

**A/N: Yo! It's ya boi! New chapter!**

 **There's a huge revelation here, definitely exciting to see where this heads to!**

 **If you want to see a particular character in this one, let me know! Since I'm changing many OCs for famous characters, like in this chapter there are two, just remember that I'm changing almost everything about them.**

 **Beyond that, I've got nothing much to say, so enjoy the chapter!**

"Derek" - Normal Speech.

 _'Derek'_ \- Thought.

 _"Derek"_ \- Derek mentally speaking.

 **"Ddraig"** \- Ddraig/Albion speaking through the Sacred Gears/Divinities talking.

 _ **"Ddraig"**_ \- Ddraig speaking inside Derek's mind.

* * *

 **Fix You**

"Fmhm…" A muffled moan timidly resounded alongside the clashing of flesh against flesh. The voice belonged to a beautiful middle-aged woman, wearing an expensive military suit that despite its royal appearance, the woman herself was looking nothing like her attire.

Derek smirked fiercely as he continued drilling into Vanessa's cavern, holding her up by her butt, the woman's waist bouncing on his member as she tried to cover her moans by biting his shoulder, "Come on, Skipper…" Derek whispered huskily while he started walking towards the door of her office, pushing the woman against the wood, the door slightly bouncing alongside the two lovers as Derek added, "Let your underlings know how good you feel."

Vanessa looked at her mentor and lover with teary eyes, her body drowned in pleasure when she replied coyly, "N-No…" She kissed him hungrily then, for the moment not caring that they were in her office, right inside the MI6 building with hundreds of government personnel.

" _C-Commander Jones…_ " The stuttering voice of a woman resounded from a phone in Vanessa's desk, drawing the attention of the two lovers as the woman added, still stuttering, " _L-Lord Hamilton Sr. h-has requested yours and L-Lord Derek's presence in level zero."_

Vanessa was blushing a storm as she realised that her assistant knew exactly what was going on, her embarrassment only growing when Derek walked towards her desk, placed her on the surface and pounded on her again, pushing the com-link button to reply, not caring about the muffled moans and pants that were surely being heard on the other line, "Tell my Grandfather that we will be there shortly, Stephanie…" He smirked as he focused on Vanessa who was struggling to remain silent as he increased his pace, "We almost reach the climax of our discussion here."

" _Y-Y-Yes si-sir._ " The assistant answered before she cut the communication quickly, Derek capable of almost feeling her embarrassment.

"D-Derek…" Vanessa whined a little before she had to cover her mouth again since the Hamilton drove into her vagina with a ferocious thrust, a wonderful heat filling her navel moments later, making her reach her climax as the sensation of being connected with the man she loved overwrote anything else.

The two remained unmoving for some moments, catching their breaths. That is until Derek disconnected himself and buttoned his pants up again, Vanessa following his actions after some seconds.

"Let's go then." Derek muttered with a small smirk when he started walking towards the door of his apprentice's office, uncaring of the scent of sex that his body reeked of.

"T-Take care of things in my absence, S-Steph, please." Vanessa said to her assistant with a timid blush as they passed by her, the blonde woman nodding with a furious blush, unable to look at the handsome silverette.

"M-Master…" Vanessa whispered while she walked beside the Hamilton, the people around them nodding or waving furiously at the hero of Britain, "W-We shouldn't be d-doing… u-umm… that… in my office."

Derek snorted as he nodded at an officer who nodded back an opened a mechanical door for them, the pair of master and student walking into the lift, listening as the machine started working while the Hamilton muttered, "You were the one that jumped at me the moment I teleported into your office, Skipper…" He looked at her out of the corner of his eye, an amused smirk when he continued, "I just indulged your desires."

Vanessa just blushed a storm after that, knowing that it was the truth. She was just too excited to see her lover again and couldn't control her hormones, thus, the moment he appeared in her office, she had already thrown her pants and panties aside and desperately sunk his member in her.

The couple remained silent as they walked through a dark corridor, reaching a red door that was being guarded by two people, though they were wearing a much different uniform that those on the surface. The two officers were wearing a set consisting of a black jacket with red and white lines adorning the cloth, a pair of crimson-coloured pants and black military boots. The most striking piece of their attire however, was the black armband on their right upper-arms, proudly showing an embroidered crimson pattée cross.

"Sir!" The two guards saluted the Hamilton and the Commander before they opened the door and stepped aside.

Derek and Vanessa walked into the room, noticing the other three occupants in it, two alive and one dead, "I see you're finally done with your… recreational… time." Jonathan commented with an amused tone, looking at Vanessa with mirth, the female blushing and looking aside quickly, hiding halfway behind the Hamilton.

Derek just shrugged, saying nonchalantly, "She has needs, I have to fulfil said needs…" Vanessa just blushed even harsher at that, now fully hidden behind her mentor, "Pops, Dr Walcott…" The two man nodded their greeting, Derek's eyes now wandering to the corpse in the table between them, the corpse of his late subordinate Luis Sanchez, "What do you have for me that required my presence?" The Hamilton asked the two men.

Jonathan eyed the physician, nodding at him to proceed, "Well…" The Dr fixed his glazes, an aura of nervousness around him, probably for being in the presence of two of the most powerful men in the world, "We've ran every test on Mr Sanchez' body, and the results pointed towards something… d-disturbing."

Vanessa recovered from her embarrassment, now standing beside her mentor who narrowed his eyes and muttered gravely, "The Human Project."

Vanessa's eyes widened after that, looking at her mentor before she looked back at Jonathan, whispering unbelievingly, "S-Sir… you're not t-thinking…"

"Everything points towards that direction…" Jonathan asserted grimly, adding after a sigh, "Kokabiel lied when he said that the soul was being trapped, that or he really didn't know, but this is only a carcass and nothing more, only with the capabilities of using the last of the victim's power."

The doctor nodded, adding after a gulp, "F-For what I compared with the notes L-Lord Hamilton gave me, the symptoms and the hypothetical procedure matches those of the project, t-there is no trace of magic or divinity in this body, h-his revival was… human made."

The room was silent after that, the quietness broken when the Hamilton patriarch said to the doctor, "Thank you for your work, Dr, you are dismissed."

The doctor nodded nervously at the two Hamilton and Vanessa, and quickly made his way out of the room, not wanting to be part of anything that happens within the top branch.

"Didn't you said that everything related to THP was destroyed?" Derek asked his grandfather with eyes narrowed, knowing that this situation was nothing to feel confident about.

"It was…" Jonathan affirmed, looking at Luis' body, adding with a mutter, "I oversaw its destruction myself."

Vanessa remained silent, until she widened her eyes and commented, alarmed, "I-If there was no way that someone could get t-the blueprints… t-then that means…"

"That its creator is the one that reproduced the project." Derek muttered gravely, his eyes narrowed at the realisation.

"Niko's body is gone as well…" Jonathan added with a frown, commenting later, "With Luis, his power was greatly reduced because it required Luis' own tactics to work at their best, but with Niko who was sheer physical strength…"

"We may have a big problem with a mindless brute running around." Vanessa finished her boss' thoughts, the man nodding at her deduction tensely.

"We can't really do anything right now…" Derek muttered while massaging his chin, adding with eyes narrowed, "If our assumptions are correct, then Miyo is back in action and probably with Novum…" He sighed, continuing, "She's smart and will surely know that we're onto her, she and Novum will lay low for now."

"Indeed…" Jonathan agreed, adding with a glance at his grandson, "In the end, she was your first apprentice…" Derek closed his eyes at that while Vanessa just bit her lip, knowing that the woman was a sore subject for the Hamilton, one that he considered his first grave mistake, "We must tread carefully from now on."

Derek just nodded, looking at his late subordinate. Deep inside of him, he felt anger at the thought of his first apprentice using his comrades for her sick experiments. Doesn't matter that they betrayed him, they were his teammates and despite not acknowledging it, an attachment was formed.

"For now, go back to Luxembourg…" Jonathan said, walking towards the door, Derek and Vanessa following him closely as the elder added, "I received a call from Sirzechs, he wants to meet, so I want you back there keeping an eye at everything."

Vanessa tilted her head, inquiring, "You think it's about the meeting you predicted, sir?"

Jonathan nodded, stating, "It's the most likely scenario."

With that, the three people left the room and headed back to their respective tasks, knowing that while the world slept soundly at night, the shadows in it were starting to work overtime.

* * *

"Come on in." Rias' voice urged after the Gremory heard a knock on her door. The heiress was currently reviewing her report regarding the incident with Kokabiel, her brother having asked her to write in great detail about the whole thing.

The door opened, a beautiful tall black-haired woman walked inside the room. The beauty was wearing a black business suit consisting of a black jacket, a white shirt underneath it with a green tie, a matching black thigh-length skirt with black stockings and a pair of black heels. Her hair was a little spiky, some strands falling freely around her face while a long ponytail kept the rest in check, "Hello Rias, it's nice to see you." The woman said with a small smile, her honey-coloured eyes looking at the Gremory.

Rias smiled and stood up from her seat, walking towards the woman who seemed to be of her same age and gave her a quick hug, stating once she broke it, "Chifuyu, so nice to see you here, please…" She gestured the couch, adding, "Take a seat, let me prepare some tea."

Chifuyu nodded and did as told, looking at the heiress as she started preparing something to drink, raising an eyebrow when she noticed a small cabinet with a couple of liquor bottles in it, "I didn't know you liked to drink, Rias…" Chifuyu commented as Rias gave her a cup of tea, adding with a small smirk, "Didn't even know you were allowed to have alcohol inside the school."

Rias tilted her head a little until she noticed the cabinet, giggling before she expressed, "Oh that, it's not really for me, I do like wine and occasionally, I do indulge in some gin, but the cabinet it's mostly for Derek."

Chifuyu tilted her head, saying, "Oh, you mean the British royal?"

Rias nodded, adding with a small smile, "Indeed, he's sort of a heavy drinker, especially with whisky…" She smirked then, sipping her tea before she added, "Since he is a… special… case, the Headmaster tends to look the other way."

"Oh…" Chifuyu nodded, muttering after sipping her beverage, "You seem quite taken with the man."

"I am…" Rias responded instantly, not a drop of hesitation in her voice, making her giggle when she saw her friend's surprised look, probably at her bluntness, "But do not worry, Chifuyu…" She smirked teasingly, wondering herself when she had become so playful as she stated, "He's a man of multiple… bonds."

Chifuyu coughed a little at that, adding a little hastily, "Y-You have misunderstood m-my intentions… I-I…" Seeing Rias' chuckles, Chifuyu controlled herself and after a long sigh, she added, "Is he p-part of your… world… then?" She argued that if he was a man with such lifestyle, then he must be part of the supernatural world where relationships like this were quite common. She might be new to this Academy, but she has heard and see the rumours surrounding his apparent closeness with multiple women.

Rias nodded, stating, "Yes, but he is no devil or anything the like, he's a human… the most powerful one at that…" Seeing the inquisitiveness in Chifuyu's eyes but knowing that any further comment on her lover my cause her to slip something she shouldn't, Rias eyed her state of dress and changed subjects, "I didn't know you got a job already… you've been here, what? Like two weeks? Are you settling well?"

Chifuyu ignored the abrupt change and decided to just answer, shaking her head, commenting, "I am adapting well to the school and the life here in Europe, thank you for helping me and my brother by the way…" Rias nodded with a small smile, "But I haven't found a job, I've been very unlucky with that so far since I don't have much knowledge of this country's language, I have no problem with English, but the country's official language is still Luxembourgish, and I know nothing of it, or German for that matter."

Rias nodded thoughtfully, understanding her predicament. The redhead sighed and offered, "I could help you out with that, if you want."

Chifuyu though, shook her head, explaining with a small grateful smile, "I couldn't burden you further, Rias, you've already done so much for me and my little brother…" She sipped her tea and added, knowing that the devil was about to argue, "Besides, I still have three quarters of the inheritance from our parents, it should last us for at least a year."

Rias sighed, frowning slightly when she inquired, "Are you sure? You are not bothering me in any way, Chifuyu."

"I am, thank you anyway…" Chifuyu said, adding with a troubled look, "But I d-do… have a favour to ask."

Rias tilted her head, confused by the troubled expression of the girl before her, inquiring a little worriedly, "Of course, anything."

Chifuyu sighed, her eyes casted down, sad and sorrowful as she whispered, "Is a-about… Ichika."

Rias frowned at that, having an inkling of the problem, "Your little brother is not settling well, I take it?"

"No…" The blackette shook her head, sighing before she spoke again, "It's already been a year since our parents' deaths and he's still not moving on, in fact, h-he's… he's getting worse…"

Rias nodded, muttering, "Yes, I've heard about his incident with the other kids in secondary."

Chifuyu nodded, rubbing her arm, helplessly adding, "I d-don't know what to do… I k-know it hurts… it h-hurt me as well… b-but for the sake of Ichika, I've been able to cope with it…" She bit her lip, whispering, "He on the other hand…"

"Refuses to." Rias deduced, earning a nod from the young woman.

"He's isolating himself from everyone, even m-me…" Chifuyu started saying, stopping to gather her wits to add, "And w-worse… he's getting violent… I… I fear what he might be doing… he disappears after school, he a-arrives home late and he b-brings some expensive things… things h-he shouldn't be able to afford…"

Rias sighed, sad to hear those words. She really respected Chifuyu a lot, to suffer through the death of your parents, but to still be able to pull yourself together for the sake of raising your fourteen year old brother, that's a remarkable thing. Rias and Chifuyu have been friends because her father, was a good friend of Zeoticus, Rias' father. Apparently, Chifuyu and Rias' fathers had some dealings in the past, thus, they became friends and the two females shared the friendship. When she heard that Chifuyu's parents were killed, she immediately offered Chifuyu a change of scenery, hoping that it may help the two siblings to move on.

To hear that Ichika, the cute little brother of Chifuyu, was apparently hanging out with the wrong crowd, was something that saddened her, mostly because she could tell how much the boy was hurting his sister, "I understand, Chifuyu…" Rias said with a small reassuring smile, standing up along with the blackette, placing a hand on her shoulder when she added, "I'm afraid I am not capable of helping him directly, but, I do know someone who can."

Chifuyu bowed, relief clear in her voice when she said, "T-Thank you so much, Rias, whatever help you can give, I will g-greatly appreciate it…" She looked back at the Gremory, adding with an honest smile, "You are a truly cherished friend."

"So are you, Chifuyu." Rias said with a warm smile.

Chifuyu smiled too before she looked at her phone, cursing under her breath when she noticed the time, saying a little hastily, "Damn, I have to go now, otherwise I'll miss the job interview…" She started walking towards the door, adding, "You already know where I live and where to find Ichika, again, thank you so much for this."

Rias just smiled and saw Chifuyu leave, sighing a little while she rested her butt on her desk, massaging her neck, muttering to herself, "How in Lord Satan's name am I going to convince him of this?"

Just as if she had invoked him, the man in her mind suddenly appeared inside the ORC, his signature crimson flash blinding her for a moment, hearing his voice when he noticed her, "Ah Rias, you're here." Derek walked towards the cabinet and as usual, served himself a glass of whisky.

Rias smiled at her lover, looking as he walked towards her desk and sat on her chair, reclining with a heavy sigh. She walked towards him and boldly sat on his lap, her back resting on his chest as she whispered lovingly, "Bad news?" She nuzzled on his body, kissing his cheek, enjoying being with him.

Derek sighed, his eyes showing the tiredness he was feeling, "Yeah."

Rias just kissed him deeply, knowing that her lover was not going to say anything about whatever business he had, he didn't wanted to mix them up in his business and while it did anger Rias because she wanted be present for him at all times, she understood that his business were, to say it lightly, obscure.

So, the Gremory resorted to just turn back to her report, eyeing it again to ensure that it was well versed.

Derek raised an eyebrow, amused to see the Gremory still seated on his lap, her butt pressed against his crotch, "What are you doing?"

Rias looked at him over her shoulder, replying with a small smile, "Looking over the report for my brother regarding Kokabiel, I just want to ensure that everything is in order."

Derek snorted, adding with a smirk, "And why are you still on my lap?"

Rias smirked back, though there was a blush on her cheeks, when she responded teasingly, "Well, this is MY seat."

Derek smirked predatorily at that, making Rias gulp when he suddenly snaked his hands around her thighs, spreading them, Rias eeping when her panties were exposed, "D-Derek…" She half-moaned and whined when she saw him releasing his member, the tower of flesh that served to take her into a pleasure high for the ages, pressing itself against her covered cove, "N-Not here… s-someone… _moouu_ … someone might co-come… in…"

Derek chuckled villainously, muttering with a husky whisper as he moved her panties aside and penetrated her in a single thrust, "I'm the only one coming in, Rias."

Rias' mind was already lost when her love connected with her, only capable of moaning as he started thrusting, all rational thinking gone, replaced by desire and lust.

"Rias, are you h…" The voice of Akeno suddenly draw Rias' attention to the door, where Akeno walked in to find her {King} getting some in her desk, "O-Oh… m-my… D-Dear… R-Rias… w-what…" She tried to act all teasing, but she couldn't stop her blush and shyness for walking into such situation.

"N-No-Nothing… _aww_ …" Rias struggled to speak coherently, since Derek had grabbed her hips and grinded them on his lap, his penis caressing her sensitive insides with seductive delicacy, "D-Don't come… p-please A-Akeno…" She begged, hiding her face with her hands, embarrassed beyond belief.

Derek though, smirked devilishly at that, saying, "Akeno, why don't you come here."

Akeno, in a daze, nodded and timidly walked towards her partner and master, bringing a finger to her mouth and a hand to her nether regions as she observed Rias' hips grinding on what she was sure, was Derek's penis.

Derek then turned the chair to face Akeno, Rias yelping in embarrassment as Derek suddenly said, "Come on Rias, you told me that you and Akeno here, occasionally liked to… explore… each other, so show her."

"N-Nooo… i-it's… e-embarrassing…" She could barely speak due to Derek's penis and his teeth gently biting her lobe.

Derek though, just smirked and in a move, he lifted the heiress' legs, giving Akeno a first row view of the action going on down there, "Look Akeno, what do you think?" Derek asked with a seductive smirk.

"O-Oh… m-my…" Akeno whispered, her hand subconsciously rubbing her sex as she kneeled and stared right in front of their connection, lost in the seductive sight.

Rias could only look in embarrassment as her lover pounded her relentlessly while her best friend observed closely and intently the whole thing, with Rias only capable of whining aloud, "Noooooooooo…"

* * *

" _I must admit, Lady Dracul…"_ Sirzechs Lucifer said to the Queen of Vampires through a magical hologram, the surprise in the Devil King's face as clear as day when he added, " _I never imagined that you would even answer my message._ "

Natalia smiled a little, enjoying the bitter faces of the elders and her council, she knew that they were pissed beyond belief. To accept the invitation of a peace summit organised by the devils, was something unthinkable in the vampire community, who prided themselves in their purity and reclusiveness. Despite the fact that there was evidence that her race descended from a variant in the Morningstar blood, the hard-core vampires refused to acknowledge their relation to all the species that can be traced to either God or Lucifer, those races being the devils, angels, vampires, demons and yōkai, all of them sharing a lot of traits.

There was even a theory proposed by Azazel himself that said that God was related to Great Red, perhaps, even being the Dragon of Apocalypse's son, seeing as God and two of his sons had the infamous 'Eyes of Creation'. While many gods have the ability to create living creatures, only God, Lucifer and Uriel were the only beings beside Great Red that had the ability to create anything by simple knowing its construction and inner workings, organic or inorganic. Thus, the Governor of the Fallen Angels had the theory that God, was either blessed by Great Red, who is said to be the first living being that came to be alongside the Big Bang, or even as far as to theorise that God, was Great Red's son.

Still, the animosity her race had against anything other than a vampire, was something that truly bothered her, because there was a tension filling the air all over the world, as if something sinister was lurking. Her race was not ready to face a war against anyone since out of all the factions in the world, the vampires are one of the less powerful due to their reduced numbers.

She needed allies.

"I understand your surprise, Lord Lucifer…" Natalia commented after her pondering, resting her delicate face on her fist, adding with a small smile, "But this threat you're bringing to light for us, is something I can't just ignore… that is of course, if you can confirm it to me."

Sirzechs nodded, asserting, " _It is as you say, while I cannot assure you one hundred percent…_ " He narrowed his eyes, grimly stating, " _There is strong evidence to say that there is indeed a group of rogues that have joined, to what cause? We do not know but it surely isn't anything good._ "

Everyone, including Sirzechs, were confused when Natalia shook her head, the woman leaning on towards the hologram, smirking a little as she said, "The terrorist group is troubling, but I am not talking about that threat."

Sirzechs widened his eyes when he understood the woman's meaning. He stopped for a moment to consider whether or not to acknowledge what she was saying in front of her council and elders, but he soon understood that she wanted to push them to relent, something they will undoubtedly do if they hear the real threat, just like his own council, " _Ah yes…_ " The redhead started saying, his eyes narrowing when he continued, " _You're talking about the possibility of one of them being alive._ "

The Queen's council were heavily confused, Natalia eyeing them all as she stated grimly, "A Morningstar."

Her words silenced absolutely everything, not even a breath was heard as everyone came to terms with the horrific revelation. It wasn't that the Morningstar were horrible people, God and Lucifer created their species and overall, were very wise and just rulers. The problem though, was that they were extremely powerful for anyone's liking, Shiva himself stated that he would've never fought against a prime God or Lucifer, even Uriel would be difficult due to the sheer unfairness of their eyes, they could simply create anything they needed to defeat anyone, it was just stupidly unfair for everyone else.

An elder stood up, alarmed, stating with a stutter, "Devil K-King! You shouldn't s-say such things so lightly! A M-Morningstar alive… t-that's… that's preposterous!"

Sirzechs looked at the elder, stating with a grim tone, " _Blue Ben has disappeared, elder._ "

Even Natalia widened her eyes at that, she only heard from Sirzechs that there was something that may say that a Morningstar was alive, but she never thought that the legendary stone dragon was the reason, "L-Lucifer's legendary familiar!? The invincible Stone Dragon!?" She asked, alarmed. Blue Ben was a dragon said to be at the par with the Heavenly Dragons, a dragon tamed by Lucifer and later turned into a living statue to make it almost invincible. Blue Ben stroke fear in the hearts of everyone who heard its name.

Sirzechs nodded, muttering troubled, " _The very same…_ " He sighed, adding after, " _Blue Ben has been asleep ever since Lord Lucifer died, the dragon was resting at the front of the Silver Palace, Lucifer's residence…"_ Sirzechs narrowed his eyes then, continuing, " _We have a patrol that checks on the castle every week, in case anyone wants to try to enter the castle… there are many who attempt it even though it is impossible… the problem with the last patrol however, was that there was no sign of the dragon, to lose sight of an a hundred metre tall creature…"_

One of Natalia's councillor, a blonde beautiful woman, proposed with a soft yet troubled tone, "Could not it be that it just left?"

Sirzechs shook his head though, explaining, " _That is impossible, Blue Ben only responds to the Elder Blood, hence why it rested on the Morningstar Castle, to await a master in case someone appeared…"_ He massaged his scruff, adding, _"Entering the castle is also impossible, since the barrier that surrounds it, can only be opened by someone with the Elder Blood."_

There was a tense silence after that, everyone now seeing the possibility of one of their creators being alive, "We can only hope that if this is true, that the one alive is not Rizevim." The councillor uttered worriedly, everyone shivering at the mere mention of said man, someone who was as strong as he was evil.

"You can expect my presence in the meeting, Lord Lucifer…" Natalia said commandingly after the silence, daring anyone to argue with her now, "This is something we must discuss seriously." She added, knowing that it was no joking matter.

Sirzechs smiled a little and said, " _It is good to hear that, Lady Dracul, we shall see each other in a couple of days, farewell."_ Natalia nodded and with that, the conversation with the Crimson Satan was over.

"We agree on this, Lady Dracul…" An elder spoke for the rest, albeit reluctantly, adding with a frown, "We only request that you keep your… interest… for the Hamilton to yourself."

Natalia just chuckled, standing up and heading towards the door of the war room, her handmaidens following closely as she stated with a smug teasing smirk, "We shall see, dear elder, we shall see."

* * *

" _Mm… I see…"_ The voice of Seekvaria Agares was heard saying from the other end of the line, adding after a pause, _"You want to push Derek to help this Ichika guy, then?"_

Rias sighed, leaning against the window frame, adding after a moment, "Yeah, I figured that due to the similarities between the two, Derek's the only one capable of actually understanding what he's going through but…" She trailed off.

Seekvaria however, seemed to sense where she was going, so she said, " _But, you're afraid he might get angry for it?"_

Rias though, shook her head, saying, "No, we both know that Derek is long past the grieving stage, he has already accepted his parents' deaths…" The busty female sighed, recalling some of the private talks she's had with her love, adding, "The few times we've spoke about it, he doesn't seem uncomfortable or anything the like."

Seekvaria hummed, knowing that her fiancé was long past suffering their deaths, _"Then what is your problem?"_ She asked, confused for the heiress' dilemma.

Rias sighed, massaging her neck before she explained, "Well, that I don't know how to make it happen, we both know that Derek is not one to lend a shoulder out of the goodness of his heart…" She and Seekvaria snorted at that, with the Gremory continuing, "I just can't come up with a way to make Derek interest in Ichika."

 _"Mmm… I see the problem…"_ Seekvaria mumbled, knowing that the Gremory was right, their shared lover was not going to help anyone in a tender manner, that's just not who he was, _"What did you had in mind?"_ The Agares inquired, resorting for listening to Rias' initial thoughts.

Rias sighed, replying, "Well, today is open house day in the High-School section of the Academy…" She focused her eyes on said section, continuing, "Chifuyu fears that seeing so many parents dotting over their children, will make Ichika snap in some way or just sink deeper into his despair…" She massaged her temples, irritated at her impasse, "She's going to attend the classes to at least be there for him, but beyond that, I have no clue how to present the kid to Derek."

Seekvaria remained silent for a moment, her brain working to come up with a feasible solution for the current predicament, understanding the frustration her fellow heiress had at the moment, " _I think I have an idea…"_ Seekvaria started saying, earning Rias' full attention as the blonde continued, _"Use a similar like that the two might share, or push Ichika to get into Derek's favourite thing, it will definitely gain his attention if Ichika is a fellow footballer."_

Rias widened her eyes at that, understanding the idea, finding it quite convenient, "You're right! Derek usually trains alone after the team's practice, today's one of those days so he will be on the field on his own…" She frowned however, adding with a whine, "Damn… I have no idea if Ichika even likes football though, baseball is Japan's number one sport…"

 _"And Derek hates baseball."_ Seekvaria added.

"And Derek hates baseball…" Rias agreed to that, sighing before she spoke again, "I'll have to ask Chifuyu about that."

 _"Yeah, in any case that the kid doesn't practice or likes football, just come up with a way to incentivise him or just motivate him, Derek will not be capable to fully ignore someone who wants to get in 'The Beautiful Sport'… gigigi…_ " Seekvaria giggled along with Rias, both of them finding Derek's obsession with the sport quite amusing.

Rias smiled, saying as she eyed her school through her window, "Well, I have to make some arrangements before Derek finishes whatever he's doing right now, he received an urgent call and had to leave school."

 _"Alright, you do that…"_ Seekvaria said before she added, _"I'll call you tonight to see how it went and to hear every little detail regarding Kokabiel's appearance."_

"'Kay, bye…" Rias said and with that, the two females ended the call, "Let's see how it goes…" Was all the Gremory devil could mutter as she made her way to Chifuyu Orimura, hoping that this little plan of hers works.

* * *

"Kalawarner." Derek said as he appeared right behind the blue-haired fallen angel.

Kalawarner squealed, surprised, jumping a little as she turned on her heel, facing her master with a flushed look, "M-Master… you scared m-me!"

Derek smirked, saying amused, "You shouldn't be so easy to sneak up on…" He walked towards her then, a predatory smirk while he slowly cornered her up against the wall of the alley they were in, pushing his body on hers, the Hamilton saying with a husky whisper right next to her ear, "You don't know what nefarious intentions your assaulter may have."

"M-M-Masteeeeer…" Kalawarner whined undignified, a massive blush on her face as she subconsciously pushed herself on her leash, longing for his touch once again.

Sadly, Derek snorted and pulled back, his impassive face returning as he asked, "So, what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

Kalawarner struggled slightly to recover, but she shook her head and refocused on the matter at hand, "Well…" She cleared her throat, hoping that Derek will not get mad for what she was about to say, "Y-You have a r-request…"

Derek crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing slightly, having a slight inkling at where this was going, "From whom and to do what?"

Kalawarner inhaled, saying with a composed face, only slight shivers running down her body, "From Lord Azazel…" She flinched slightly when Derek's eyes narrowed even more, adding the request, "H-He asked for you to meet him r-right now… R-Raynare is currently with him, waiting for you i-in Lord Azazel's home." It was clear for Derek that Kalawarner knew that Azazel having both of them here with him, meant that he knew where the two female loyalties now laid, she was afraid of where the meeting might go.

Derek just nodded and started following Kalawarner as she led him towards a luxurious apartment complex, not too far away from Derek's own home.

"Relax, Kalawarner…" Derek muttered while the two rode the lift, the female looking at him with troubled eyes as he added with a soft look, "I won't let anything happen to you or Raynare, I made a promise and I keep those."

Despite the nervousness, Kalawarner couldn't help but smile at those words, keeping this moment in her mind as a reminder that despite his usual vicious demeanour, Derek was in fact caring for her and Raynare.

They stepped out of the lift then and Kalawarner took her master to her leader's apartment, knocking on the door a couple of times.

Raynare was the one that opened it, looking at her master with barely restrained adoration, a sense of fear surrounding her as well when she said, "L-Lord Azazel is w-waiting for you inside." She stepped aside and allowed her master and colleague entrance.

Derek was led to the living room, where the legendary leader of the Fallen Angels laid lazily on his couch, looking at some TV show on the telly, a glass of what Derek could discern by the scent as sake, tightly grasped in his right hand.

"Oh…" Azazel said once his eyes laid on the Hamilton, smirking mischievously as he added, "I was worried you weren't coming! It's been so long since the last time I say you, Derek Hamilton!" He smiled amicably then, shaking Derek's hand as the silverette sat on a couch next to Azazel.

Derek accepted the liquor that was offered to him, surprising the two females since he seemed to be awfully relaxed, "Indeed, though I remember that when we met, I was eleven years old, hardly an age where I was interested in anything but killing."

Azazel laughed at that, commenting, "Ah yes, quite the vicious little brat you were back then…" He grimaced at a particular memory with the young Hamilton, "Now, I know that just like me, you are an extremely busy man, so why don't we jump to the subject?"

Derek smirked at that but turned to look at Raynare and Kalawarner, who bowed diligently, with Raynare stating, "We shall give you privacy, Lord Azazel."

The two were about to leave when Azazel stopped them, smiling amusedly when he said something that froze their hearts, "Now, now, there's no need for you to go… you can stay beside your master, it's only natural."

Raynare and Kalawarner remained glued on their spots, their faces filled with shock and fear as they realised what Azazel was implying, "Y-You…" Raynare stammered, incapable of forming coherent words.

Derek though, sipped his drink, stating to the stupefied women, "He's known since the very beginning."

"W-What…" Kalawarner whispered, scared, she and Raynare subconsciously walking to stand timidly behind their master, as if expecting Azazel to attack them at any moment.

The Governor however, just chuckled, a mischievous glint in his eyes when he said, "Oh relax you two, you did nothing wrong."

That shocked the two fallen females even more, confused as to what was going on, "B-But…" Kalawarner stammered, frozen, confused and afraid.

" _Sigh…_ Let me explain…" Azazel said and after he drank more of his sake, he continued, "Had you been working for a Rothschild, then I would've killed you for sure…" They gulped, the Governor smirking when he added, "But, you're working for a Hamilton, they might be even worse than the Rothschild, but they at least are restrained when it comes to war…" The mythical angel shrugged his shoulder, saying leisurely, "I knew that the only thing the Hamilton wanted from you, was to let them know if any potential hostility was brewing, so I saw no reason for you to be branded as traitors since you still did your work for me."

"O-Oh…" Was all Raynare could whisper, still too stunned to even understand what was going on.

"But now, let's get to the point, shall we?…" Azazel said, his eyes now focused on the Hamilton as he inquired, with a smirk that was half amused and half wary, "When I saw Raynare's and Kalawarner's eyes whenever your name was mentioned in a conversation, I saw a devotion I've only seen once in my lifetime…" A small drop of sweat ran on the back of his head, "I never thought I'd see that again but, I have, with these two…" The two women seemed alarmed, catching up to what Azazel wanted to ask, "So either you're the God of Sex…" The two females blushed a storm at that, shrinking in their spots as Azazel continued grimly, "Or you're a…"

Azazel was silenced by the eyes of the Hamilton, that now, instead of being deep blue, were crimson red, the Governor already figuring that Derek had another set of very, very dangerous eyes, "As usual, you are correct, Governor." Derek said calmly as he sipped his beverage again, his eyes turning back to blue, his face showing nothing of the irritation of having someone outside of his control knowing about his secret.

"Holy shit…" Azazel whispered, leaning back on his seat, his head dizzy and his heart throbbing at the revelation. He had his suspicions ever since he saw Kalawarner and Raynare, the suspicion then turned into a theory when he saw Derek's appearance and the feel of his power, but now, hearing the truth, despite telling himself that he was ready for it, he felt the immense discomfort, "The w-world is not ready for this… f-for you." He added, stunned, dreading the day this information comes to light.

"No, they're not…" Derek said, sighing before he added, "That is why, I trust you'll keep this between us." Raynare and Kalawarner were surprised by the assertiveness of the Hamilton, even when being in front of a legendary being like Azazel. But, already knowing that Derek was humanity's response to this sort of beings, they didn't lingered in their shock too much.

Azazel chuckled, though it was far from an amused one as he drank a whole glass of sake in one sip before he added, "Trust me… this to be known by the public, is something I couldn't want any less…" He sighed deeply, massaging his temples as he muttered, "I just wanted to see if I was wrong or not."

"Well, now you know." Derek replied dryly, his eyes narrowed, assessing the Governor's demeanour.

It took a couple of moments for Azazel to speak again, focusing his eyes on the Hamilton to ask, his demeanour, while not threatening, certainly brusque, "Then, what are your intentions? What is it that you want to achieve?" He knew well that Derek didn't wanted to rule the world or anything as pitiful as that. But that was what made it more worrying for the Governor, someone as secretive and intelligent as the Hamilton, was someone incapable to predict.

Derek leaned back on his seat, sighing before he replied, "What I want to achieve?…" He genuinely seemed to ponder on that, taking some moments before he spoke again, almost to himself really, "There was a time where I wanted nothing more than revenge… then, I wanted knowledge… then, power… but now…" He looked at Azazel, stating with narrowed eyes, "I want to honour my dragon blood."

Raynare and Kalawarner were confused, not understanding, but Azazel seemed in fact relieved to hear that, sighing with a small smirk, stating, "So, you just want to be the strongest one there is, huh?" He wondered if Derek and Vali knew each other, or even, if they had a connection.

"Correct." Derek replied dryly.

Azazel stared at Derek for a few moments before he chuckled, stating amusedly, "A true dragon indeed…" Derek just smirked at him, the tension growing when Azazel leaned on and muttered, "Now, regarding Kokabiel…" Azazel flinched when Derek's aura raised, knowing that despite being a very powerful individual, out of the three leaders of the Biblical Factions, he was the weakest and thus, Derek Hamilton was stronger than him, "I apologise for his attack, I never expected that he would go this far."

Derek though, snorted, stating with his eyes focused on the Governor, "Yes you did, you were counting on it…" Kalawarner and Raynare widened their eyes while they tensed, though Azazel merely smirked sourly, listening as the Hamilton added, "After all, your whole aim was to push for peace between the different factions, right? You needed a catalyst and Kokabiel proved to be the best opportunity for it."

Raynare and Kalawarner widened their eyes as they heard the revelation, observing their Governor as he chuckled, smirking when he commented with a wary tone, "Definitely deserving of the 'Human God' title you are…" The handsome black-haired man sipped his drink and continued, "I didn't thought anyone would notice my true aim, I was hoping that my obsession with Sacred Gear study would be enough to explain my absence in this matter."

Derek shrugged, saying, "It was, but I started realising your goal after I put everything together, I guess, knowing Kokabiel personally, helped me see your aim…" Derek's demeanour then suddenly turned dark however, Azazel tensing while Raynare and Kalawarner held themselves together, confused for their master's sudden demeanour when he stated with a dark tone, "While I applaud your thinking and that you actually pushed for this meeting, let me warn you Azazel… if you ever use my people for your schemes again, I will personally hunt you down, okay?"

Azazel snorted, a drop of sweat falling on the back of his head, sighing before he said with an aloof tone, though a fake one, "Yeah, yeah, I truly apologise for that…" He then turned serious, knowing that he could not afford losing Humanity's cooperation, "You have my word, I won't use anyone under you again, including those two."

Raynare and Kalawarner seemed surprised, with the blackette asking, "L-Lord Azazel… what do you m-mean?"

Azazel inhaled once Derek's oppressive aura disappeared, the boy seemingly remembering that those two were there, surprising Azazel with the man's sudden concern for them. But putting that aside, the good Governor explained with a small smile, "Well, I mean that I am allowing you to stay here with Derek if you desire."

The two females were shocked to hear that, looking at their master who only shrugged and said, "I have no quarrels with it, you can stay with Akio, Kushina and Griselda next to my house if you want, but this is your decision."

The two females looked at each other, apparently having a mental conversation. It took them a couple of moments to speak again, with Raynare being the one that said, "C-Can we still be a part of the F-Fallen side? We will follow M-Master to wherever he guides us but… w-we don't want to lose our ties with our race."

Azazel nodded with a small smile, stating, "I have no problems with that, as I said earlier, the Hamilton family only cares for order, not chaos, so I have no problem with you reporting any sense of hostility you may find within our ranks, since I just can't have an eye on every fallen there is…" He looked at Derek then, adding, "Besides, if things work out well during the meeting, then we could be considered allies by the end of this month, thus, information between each other will be shared."

The two women smiled a little and bowed in gratitude, with Kalawarner stating, "Thank you, Lord Azazel, we are grateful to you as always…" She eyed the Hamilton then and added, "Master, Raynare and I would like to make wherever you are our main residence, but we would like to continue doing our Fallen work and aid our comrades in missions, if t-that's okay with you, milord?"

Derek nodded, saying with a soft tone, "You and Ray are free to do as you please, Kala, you already know that I only forbid you to break the law, from there on, you are free to pursue your own goals."

"Thank you." Both Raynare and Kalawarner said and bowed emotionally, happy to hear the man's support.

"Now, about Kokabiel…" Derek said after some moments, his dark aura leaking again as he continued, "What have you done with him?"

Azazel did dreaded the question, since he had discovered that the Cadre kidnapped the Hamilton's sister and for what Jonathan Hamilton stated once, the boy was extremely protective of the young woman, so he could feel the man's hatred towards Kokabiel.

"Well, you can rest assured…" Azazel started saying, hoping that the punishment he gave his old friend would be enough to qualm the Red Dragon Emperor's ire, "I have frozen him in the Cocytus, he will remain there for et…"

Derek however, cut him off when he demanded, "That will not do, Governor…" The Hamilton narrowed his eyes at the leader before him, adding, "That fool almost had my sister going through an irreparable damage, she could've been tortured, murdered or worse, gang raped, had I not arrived there in time."

Azazel winced at that, knowing that he could do naught but oblige to whatever the Hamilton heir wanted him to do with Kokabiel, " _Sigh_ … I see…" He muttered, defeated, despite it all, Kokabiel was a comrade, but the Cadre had made a foolish mistake and Azazel could not protect him anymore, "What is it that you wish me to do with him?"

Derek stood up, fixing his jacket, looking at the time and seeing that he had a couple of hours to practice. He looked back at the Governor and replied, "Originally, I wanted you to behead that bastard and to put his head on a wooden plaque so I could hang it above my chimney and spit on it whenever I had the time to do so…" The angels in the room flinched at the man's viciousness, knowing that he was not exaggerating at all, "But, as I know that eventually Alice will come here, I don't want her to ever see his ugly face again, I don't want her to breath the same air as him, so kill him, I don't care how, but I want proof that you have killed that old warmonger by the meeting next week…" He started walking towards the door, adding on the way, "That is a requisite for Humanity's cooperation, Governor."

Azazel sighed and closed his eyes, saying defeated, "I understand, Mr Hamilton."

With that, Derek nodded at him and sent a quick glance to Raynare and Kalawarner who bided the man goodbye, knowing that their Fallen Angel job was still not done so they had to remain with their leader.

"Well…" Azazel said after the Hamilton left, the meeting with the heir leaving him way more drained than he expected, serving himself more sake before he said to his two subordinates, "You may go back to your previous duties, Raynare, Kalawarner, then you can pick your stuff up and move to your new home, dismissed."

The two females bowed and after a glow, disappeared with their magic, doing as told, "What a dangerous, dangerous game…" Was all Azazel could mutter as he sipped his whole drink and decided to just head towards the local Strip Club in order to unwind the huge stress that was just put on his shoulders.

* * *

"Ichika, wait!" The voice of Chifuyu Orimura ranged through the corridor as she chased after her little brother.

The boy in question was wearing an angry expression as he walked by, trying to ignore his sister, trying to ignore all the happy children with their parents, chatting amicably, congratulating them for a good work.

It wasn't as if he didn't had anyone looking after him, his big sister had asked for permission to miss her classes to be here for him during open house day, and she was present throughout his classes from the very start to the very end, smiling slightly at him whenever he glimpsed at her.

It confused Ichika because Chifuyu has never really been a doting sister, all the contrary, she was regal and very strict, offering him a couple of smiles here and then. But after the death of their parents, she had mellowed down slightly, treating him more tenderly, something that infuriated him.

He knew it was a bratty move, he knew that he was being incredibly unfair and an A-class asshole, but he couldn't help it, he couldn't stop feeling like this whenever he saw the other kids having fun with their parents, complaining about their parents, bragging about their parents, it was a very painful reminder.

"Ichika, stop!" Chifuyu's stern voice froze the rebel teen on his place, despite his renegade attitude, Chifuyu was still a lot more vicious than he could ever be.

The young black-haired boy sighed, turning to look at his sister with an annoyed look, muttering rudely, "What do you want, Chifuyu?"

The female sighed, controlling her despair as she tried to ruffle his hair, the boy immediately flicked her hand away before she commented, "Where do you think you're going? You still have to stay here until I finish my meeting with your teachers, then we can go home."

Ichika huffed, stating, "Why the hell should I wait here? I got things to do, Chifuyu…" He started turning his back on the woman, adding petulantly, "My friends are waiting for me, so I'll be gone for the rest of the d…"

Chifuyu however, had enough of her brother's attitude, so she grabbed him by the neck of his collar and forced him to look at her straight in the eyes, her honey orbs boring coldly on the boy's as she stated with a commanding tone, "You're not going anywhere right now, Ichika, you're going to remain here in school until I finish meeting your teachers, then we'll go home and we'll see if you're allowed to go with your… 'friends'… or not."

 _'D-Dammit…'_ Ichika thought, irritated by how his body felt so weak whenever Chifuyu got like this. Despite all the things he's been doing with his gang, he still couldn't gather the courage to fight against his older sister, "Fine…" He muttered, defeated, pushing Chifuyu away with a sour frown, saying angrily, "What am I supposed to do until then? Stand here and bore myself to death until you come back?"

Chifuyu sighed deeply, happy to see that she still had some control over her rebel brother, "No… you can…" She pondered for a moment, seemingly thinking on solutions until she came to a conclusion, "Why don't you go to the stadium? The caretaker there always has some footballs for anyone who wants to pass the time playing a little…" She ruffled his hair then, the boy surprisingly allowing her to do so as she added, "Go and play, you may even find a couple of boys playing…" She started walking away towards her brother's classroom, saying on the while, "I'll come pick you up when I'm done."

Chifuyu observed out of the corner of her eye how Ichika sighed in defeat, mumbling a couple of curses before he started walking towards the stadium. The beautiful Japanese woman sighed deeply as well, concerned by the attitude and activities her baby brother was surely getting into, "I hope you're right about this, Rias." She muttered to herself, hoping that this little plan of the Gremory heiress, bares some fruits.

* * *

"Hi, Joseph." Derek greeted the stadium's caretaker as he passed by the entrance, the old man nodding at him with a small smile while he opened the gates for the Hamilton. Derek headed straight towards the dressing room, opening his personal locker and grabbing his sport gear consisting of black shorts, a black training jersey and pair of neon orange cleats.

"Need to work on my free kicks today." The Hamilton heir muttered to himself before he stomped the ground a little to settle his cleats. Once he was comfortable enough, he grabbed a football and headed to the pitch.

"Ha!" A grunt then won Derek's attention once he entered the football pitch, raising an eyebrow when he saw a lonesome figure at the other end of the field. The person in question was wearing the Academy's high school uniform, it was a black-haired boy that Derek could discern was on his early teens. The boy was kicking a football with frustration, kicking it into the goal over and over again.

"Hey you…" Derek's voice won the kid's attention, the boy turning back with a frown, his demeanour changing when he saw the Academy's golden boy walking towards him, seemingly ready to train, "What are you doing here?" The Hamilton asked once he approached the teen, confused because he had the idea that all high-schoolers were with their parents right now.

"Umm…" Ichika stammered, feeling nervous. He actually admired the Hamilton. Ever since he arrived here, he had met a couple of haughty people, not to say anything of the students of UL or Sacred Heart, who usually came to LA to meet the very man before him. But, for what he has seen, they are quite arrogant and mighty, thus, he found it extraordinary when he met the Hamilton, arguably one of the most influential and powerful people in the world and yet, he was quite humble. He was not approachable or friendly mind you, everyone feared him as much as they adored him, but he didn't had that air of superiority that people of his social status usually shared. Thus, Ichika ended up admiring the man's attitude and achievements, "I was j-just… passing the time…" The Orimura male scratched his scruff when he added, "I didn't k-know you were going to train so I-I'll… leave you to i-it."

Derek however, just shook his head and walked past him, saying, "I don't mind, I was just asking because I've never seen you around here…" Derek started stretching, looking at the teenager to add a question, "Besides, aren't you supposed to be with your parents right now? Today's open house, no?"

Derek raised an eyebrow when Ichika's mood dropped a lot after that question, the boy looking at the side, saying with an angry tone, " _Huff_ … I have no parents… t-they're… they're dead…" There was silence after that, with the kid adding after some moments, "My s-sister is the one meeting with my teachers, s-she said I should wait for her here."

 _'This kid…'_ Derek thought as he eyed the boy, finding a lot of similarities between the teenager and himself. He could easily tell that the boy's parents didn't had a peaceful death, probably, they had a violent one, perhaps even a murder, just like with his own parents, "I see…" Derek muttered as he stood up again and grabbed a couple of training dummies, placing them at a considerable distance with the goal, grabbing the football and stepping back, placing it on the ground before he said to the boy, "Well, why don't you help me train, then?" He honestly didn't know why he said that, but the Hamilton felt a connection with this kid, almost as if he had a chance to stop someone from turning into another him.

Ichika seemed surprised with that, stuttering, "O-Oh… umm…" He seemed unsure, but a glance from the Hamilton seemed to make him relent and say, "A-Alright."

For the next two hours, the two men spent them practicing, though it was mainly Derek teaching Ichika about football. Tactics, how to make runs, how to head the ball, how to kick it properly and even some tricks. Ichika found it certainly unbelievable that the Hamilton could be this friendly when it came to football, he was still cold and detached, but he seemed more approachable.

Ichika had to admit as well that football was quite liberating.

"Ichika!…" A feminine voice drew the attention of both males to their backs, where a beautiful young woman was calling for the teenager from the stadium's entrance, Derek figured she was the kid's sister, "It's over now, so let's go home!" She added, looking a Derek for a couple of seconds before she averted her gaze quickly, biting her lip.

Ichika stared at her for a couple of moments before he shook his head and muttered, "R-Right…" He turned towards the silverette and said a little unsure, "W-Well… thanks f-for the tips… I… I quite enjoyed i-it."

Derek just nodded slightly, saying uncaringly, "Sure thing, kid, come to the field whenever you want, I may give you more tips, you may even find interest to join the team, we need fresh talent."

Ichika nodded with a small smile and with that, he started walking towards his sister, giving the Hamilton and the field a one last glance before he left the stadium with Chifuyu, his depressed demeanour returning after he left the field.

Derek just stared at the football in front of him, his eyes narrowed at it, thinking on the boy and what he could feel from him throughout their session. It was clear for him that the kid was in a rebellious state, probably due to his parents' deaths, but he could also feel that the kid was messing with things he shouldn't, he carried a certain aura of a delinquent, "Oh well, he breaks the law…" Derek started muttering before he ran towards the ball and kicked it, adding, "I break him."

* * *

Akeno hummed happily as she pressed herself more on Derek's chest, her eyes closed contently, enjoying this moment she had him all to herself.

"This kid…" Derek's voice made the priestess open her eyes to see her mate pointing at a picture of a boy in the school's registry, the Hamilton adding, "Who is he? He and his sister seem familiar."

Akeno suppressed the smirk as she realised that Seekvaria's plan worked, since Derek now seemed interested in the Orimura boy, "Mm… let me see…" She played pretend, looking at the boy for a moment before she opened her mouth and said, "Ah yes, he's Chifuyu's little brother…" She looked at the Hamilton then, adding, "You know, the Japanese girl that Rias brought here a month ago."

Derek nodded, remembering now where he had seen the gorgeous female before, "So they are the ones who lost their parents, then?"

Akeno nodded, resting her cheek on his shoulder before she commented, "Yes, they were killed by the mob, apparently…"

Derek raised an eyebrow at that, muttering, "Apparently?"

The Himejima reject sighed, explaining, "Well, no one really knows what happened, all that is known, is that they were found with two bullets on their heads, thrown on the side of the road…" She frowned at that, the coldness and brutality that humans could show, sometimes even surpassing that of demons, "They were bound and had their heads covered by bags, so it was obviously ruled on as the mob settling something with them."

"Mmm…" Was all Derek said while his eyes narrowed intently at the young boy before him. Once again, the similarities between him and the kid, making him have a double take on the picture.

Before anything else could be said though, Rias walked into the ORC, her peerage following behind along with Akio and Aleister.

"Oh great, you're here." Rias said once her eyes landed on her lover, walking towards him and leaning down to give him a chaste kiss, a competitive look shared between her and her {Queen} before she moved on to her desk, leaning against the surface.

"Well, now that everyone's here…" Derek muttered as everyone in the room settled on a place, the Hamilton focusing back on his redheaded mate, inquiring, "What is it that you needed to say to me?"

Rias sighed, her eyebrow twitching when she replied, "I received a call from my brother…" She controlled her irritation, inhaling before she continued, "He said that he will be coming tomorrow because apparently, he wants to have the meeting right here, in our school."

Akeno tilted her head, standing up, reluctantly, from Derek's lap before she inquired, "Why would Lord Lucifer want to have the meeting here?"

"Symbolic…" Akio muttered while she leaned against the window, smirking at the devils' confused gazes, explaining, "This is the place were humans, devils, angels and fallen angels united to defeat a considerable threat, it makes sense that they want to hold the meeting right here."

The devils nodded their heads, understanding Akio's reasoning, "Yeah, I thought so as well, though it does makes me wonder what is the true purpose of the meeting…" Rias muttered to herself before she sighed and added, "Anyways, he and Lady Leviathan will be arriving sometime during the day, but that's not all, I wanted to warn you all to be on your best behaviour…" She focused on her peerage, knowing that Derek was the Human representative, so there was no point in saying this to him, "Governor Azazel, the Archangel Michael, Lord Lucifer and Leviathan will be coming here, so we must be ready for anything…" She looked back at her lover, adding with a tilted head, "My brother even told me that the Yōkai leader, Yasaka, is coming as well."

Derek nodded, standing up as he replied, "Yeah, she confirmed to Kushina last night…" He then narrowed his eyes, commenting almost to himself, "There is another invitation, but it remains to be seen if it will be accepted…" His eyes wandered to everyone in the room then, saying, "It is likely that this meeting is to reach an alliance between all of us…" Their eyes went wide at that, shocked, "But do not let your guards down for a second, there is still a lot of animosity between us all and reaching an agreement will be tough… there is also the risk that since there will be so many leaders gathered in one place…"

"Someone may attack." Aleister concluded his superior's words.

"Correct…" Derek asserted, looking at the people in the room to finish, "So be ready for anything."

Everyone nodded at that, understanding the situation, "With that said…" Rias spoke, drawing everyone's attention back to her as she said, "There was another thing my brother said to me."

Derek raised an eyebrow at Rias' sudden change in attitude, observing as she started walking out of the room, urging them all to follow.

* * *

"So your brother thinks you're ready to handle the vampire's power?" Derek inquired as he and the rest of the ORC stood before a door inside the old building. There were a couple of 'Do not open' tapes all over the door, as well as a chain keeping it locked from any curious fool.

Rias sighed, replying, "Yeah, he said that thanks to your training and that you are here, I should be capable of controlling him." The Gremory nodded at Akeno, who nodded back and walked towards the door.

Akeno took away the tapes and chains, with Rias using her magic to dissolve the barrier that protected the door, "Alright now…" The heiress muttered before she opened the door, a loud creak resounding as the ORC made their way into the room, looking around the dark place to find Rias' last {Bishop}, "Gasper, come on, you can come out now." Rias said with a motherly tone.

"Noooooooo…" A somewhat feminine shriek was heard from the corner of the room, where a blond feminine looking person curled into a ball inside a coffin, shaking heavily while the vampire added, "I don't wanna go outsiiiiiiiide! It's too scaaaaaaary!"

Rias smiled and walked towards the young vampire, pulling the person from the coffin and embracing the blood-drinker caringly, saying to her newest servants and her lover and his group, "Come on now, why don't you meet your new friends? Everyone, this is Gasper Vladi, my dear {Bishop}." Said {Bishop} screeched, hiding in between Rias' breasts.

"Really now…" Derek muttered, crossing his arms while his eyebrow raised, unimpressed, saying somewhat amused, "A shut-in cross-dresser vampire… _snort_ … I've seen it all now."

"Moouuuu." Gasper whined, shyly whimpering in Rias' embrace.

"Come on dear, don't be so hard on our little vampire." Akeno said amused, kneeling besides Rias, patting Gasper's head.

"You knew he was a man?" Michael inquired as he looked at the three humans, surprised to see that all of them seemed to know that the vampire was a guy and not a girl, Gasper did looked too much like a girl after all.

Akio shrugged, explaining with a smirk, "I can detect the way his inner mana behaves, it's distinctive of males…" She pointed at Aleister and Derek then, continuing, "The Boss and Al have super-human smell, men and women have very different scents, you can't mask them or change them no matter what, so they can identify him by that."

The devils nodded, with Aleister walking towards the young boy, kneeling, saying, "Well, come one little guy, let's go outside."

"Noooo!…" Gasper whined again, shivering as he added, "I have to deal with people outsiiiiide! I don't want that!"

Rias smiled bitterly, saying reassuringly, "Gaspy, my brother has told me that you can come out now, we can train your…"

Gasper though, broke the embrace and screamed, "No! I d-don't wanna h-hurt anyone anymoooore!…" He hugged himself, shivering heavily when he added, hopeless, "My e-eyes… I don't w-want to hurt or scare a-anyone else…"

Rias sighed, defeated, desperate, watching as Michael walked towards the vampire, saying, "Now Gasper, let's gi…"

Gasper though, shrieked, the area around him suddenly turning a strange purple while his eyes shun in equal colour, the boy taking his hands to his head, closing his eyes, trying to control his power, muttering weakly, "I-I'm sorry… I-I'm soooorry…"

"Gasper, calm down." A strong and commanding voice forced the vampire to open his eyes, widening them when he saw the silver-haired man he knew was his master's partner, kneeling before him. Shockingly, he and the other two humans completely unaffected by his power. His eyes were stern and cold, but there was a certain sense of protectiveness on him, it made Gasper strangely calm.

"H-How?…" The vampire whispered, as Derek placed a hand on top of his head, his power disappearing, the room going back to normal as everybody looked around confused.

Rias looked surprised, saying, "Oh, Gaspy activated his Sacred Gear?"

"Yes." Akio said with a smirk, interested by the power the kid showed just now.

"Y-You weren't affected?" Michael asked surprised.

Aleister scratched his scruff, saying with a cheeky grin, "Akio and I are ultimate-class beings, the Boss is above us…" He looked at the young boy who remained looking at Derek, shocked, "Little Gasper here would have to have power above his opponents to freeze them with his 'Forbidden Balor View'."

The devils that knew of Gasper all widened their eyes at that, only the newest members looking confused, with Rias sighing while shaking her head, muttering defeated, "And of course, you also knew of Gasper's power already." She was beyond the point of being surprised by Derek's knowledge.

Derek patted the young boy's head, Gasper still looking at him wide-eyed as the Hamilton said, "Sacred Gear users are important to every government, hence why we scout them and try to recruit as much as we can to add them to our ranks…" He eyed his phone, a message from Marion making him raise an eyebrow, saying after he read it, "Those we can't find or refuse to be part of the military, we just make sure to investigate their gears and classify them for future reference… the power to stop time, only comes with the 'Forbidden Balor View' gear…" He kept his phone in his pocket, saying while he smirked at the vampire, "A shame really, the user of this gear, was someone I wanted in my team for a long time."

The devils were surprised by that, though it made sense, Sacred Gear users were humans after all, it was obvious that the governments in the planet, would at least want to keep a tight leash on the users to ensure they don't go rouge.

"You're leaving?" Rias inquired as she saw her lover walking towards the door.

Derek looked at the Gremory, answering, "I got a message from Marion, there is someone important apparently waiting for me at the house, so I gotta go…" He looked at the vampire, saying, "I assume you want to start preparing for your brother's arrival, right?…" His busty lover nodded, prompting the Hamilton to say, "Then let Aleister and Akio handle Gasper's training, this can also be a good opportunity to have Karlamine, Ni and Li integrate with the rest, there hasn't been a chance for them to train as a group, so take this opportunity to do so." With those words, the Hamilton left the room.

Rias nodded, looking at her peerage, focusing on Aleister and Akio to say, "Well, can I leave this to you?"

Aleister nodded with a small smile, replying, "Sure! We'll help Gaspy here get a grip on himself!"

Rias just snorted with a small nod, a grateful smile on her face while she patted her vampire's head, looking worriedly at him but deciding to trust Aleister and Akio, she was sure that they could help Gasper grow strong.

With that done, Rias nodded at Akeno and the two headed to prepare for Sirzechs' arrival, as well as to ensure that nothing is out of order when the other leaders arrive, it was imperative that everything was ready and set, this meeting was of utmost importance after all.

"Well now…" Akio muttered, walking towards the once again shivering vampire, standing over him, a predatory smirk on her face when she added, licking her lips, "Why don't we cook this fresh piece of meat, huh?"

Gasper just cowered while the rest chuckled, the young boy trying to hide in a box but the black-haired human managed to grab him by the skirt he was wearing, dragging him towards the outside, with the vampire screeching helplessly, "Nooooooo!"

* * *

Derek parked his car on the garage, narrowing his eyes as he keened his senses to try and cope a feel of the VIP that was waiting for him inside his living room, "Vampire, huh?" He muttered when he managed to feel a very cold presence, no warmth coming off of it as well as a lack of pulse, telling characteristics of the feared blood-suckers.

He stepped out of the car then, walking into the house and heading straight for the kitchen, where he found Burent there, preparing some tea, probably for the VIP in the living room, "M-Master… you're here." Burent said, relieved, the nervousness that the visitor's presence filled her with, as clear as day.

"It's okay, Burent…" Derek reassured, opening the fridge and grabbing a cold beer, using his thumb to open it and after giving it a long sip, added, "She was invited, though no one really thought that she would accept the invitation." He started walking towards the living room.

Burent just nodded and grabbed the teapot, placing it on a tray and with expertise, she walked towards the living room, diligently placing a cup before the beautiful guest, filling it with tea and bowing before she stepped back into standby.

"Well, Queen Natalia of the legendary house Dracul…" Derek muttered as he sat on a seat opposite to that of the legendary vampire, adding as the two beings' eyes locked, "I must admit, none of us expected your acceptance of the invitation."

Natalia smiled, her pale face still dazzling with beauty when she commented, "I understand your surprise, Mr Hamilton…" She sipped her tea, noticing how stiff and tense her handmaiden and guard were just behind her, "But considering the threats we are facing, it would be foolish to decline the invitation, if at least, to just gather some information."

Derek nodded, behind him, Xuelan and Siris, ready for any confrontation it may arise, "You are correct, the terrorist cell that has appeared is indeed a worrying fact…" He sipped his beer, leaning on a little before he muttered with a small smirk, "But I think that is the other threat the one that pushed you to agree, correct?"

Natalia smirked, thinking as she stared at the handsome human, _'Her facial structure, her eyes, her nose… but everything else is completely him…'_ She felt a pang in her dead heart but shook it away, replying after, "Naturally, when there is apparently evidence that a Morningstar is alive…" That shocked some of the people in the room, the mere mention of the legendary family sending shivers down their spines as Natalia continued, "Well, the world simply shakes."

Derek snorted, commenting, "It seemed fated though, after all, devils, angels, vampires, yōkais and even humans, can trace their beginnings to the Morningstar, either to Jehovah or Lucifer, it was only natural that this might bring us together, for once at least."

"Jehovah?" The male guard of the Queen muttered with a raised eyebrow, confused as most of the people in the room besides Derek and Natalia.

"That is God's name, Velzen…" The Vampire Queen clarified the confusion, faces of surprise all around her, not a shocking thing since throughout the years, the world had simply forgotten that name, as most accepted Jehovah simply as 'God', "Between the higher-ups of each faction, the Biblical God is referred to by his name, since he was not the only god that existed, Odin, Zeus, Shiva and so on, are all gods as well, so to avoid confusion and disrespect, Jehovah was the official name that God used with the rest of his class."

Several nods of understanding followed that statement, with Derek's voice following when he said, "While I do understand the severity of the situation, I still find it quite surprising to see you here so early, after all, the meeting is a week away." He narrowed his eyes at the Queen, his aura leaking purposefully to let her know that he did not trusted her.

Derek's antagonism seemed to set off the Queen's two guards, with the male identified as Velzen stating in between gritted teeth, "How dare you speak like that to your highness, you filthy human!"

Velzen was about to walk towards the Hamilton, but Natalia stopped him with her hand, stating with a small smile, "It's okay, Velzen, Mr Hamilton is just stating the truth, we are not friends after all…" She then smirked at her guard, adding, "Besides, don't waste your breath, Mr Hamilton here is known as the 'Human God' for a reason, not even my father could've been a match for him."

That statement shocked the two vampire guards, knowing for a fact that Vlad Dracul, was the first and most powerful vampire that has ever existed. To hear, from the man's daughter herself, that the being that is basically their god was weaker than the human before them, shook them to the very core.

"I understand your wariness, Mr Hamilton…" Natalia continued, sipping her tea and saying after, "And the truth is, that I have a personal interest in you."

Derek's eyes narrowed even more, Xuelan, Siris, Marion and Burent tensed as the Hamilton inquired, "Really now? And why is that?"

Natalia smiled, happily in fact, saying, "Because I was close to someone very, very close to you…"

Derek caught the hidden meaning, his aura still threatening, stating commandingly, "Everyone besides the Queen, leave the house."

His subordinates seemed reluctant but did as told, except for Natalia's guards, who immediately demanded, "As if we're…"

Natalia stopped her handmaiden however, saying calmly, "Elmenhilde, please do as ordered…" She focused back on the man, smiling as she continued, "Mr Hamilton and I have something personal to discuss."

"B-But…" Elmenhilde tried to argue but was silenced by Natalia once again, both her and Velzen relenting and leaving after a moment, still ready in case the human tried to do anything to their Queen.

"Speak, quickly." Derek spoke after the two were left alone, no longer friendly nor diplomatic, this was personal ground.

 _'A s-sore spot, I guess…'_ Natalia thought a little worriedly, knowing that she was making a huge gamble right now. But, she felt it in her heart that she was right, the fact that he was the spitting image of those two, was also a major factor for her to say, "Lilith." She smiled lovingly at that name, her melancholic tone, revealing the longing she felt for that specific woman.

Derek's aura completely changed after that, turning dark and violent, the man standing up and walking slowly, predatorily towards the woman, towering over her while his raging blues locked on hers, demanding her to continue.

Natalia did gulped, despite being the strongest vampire of today, the Hamilton was without a doubt, a worthy carrier of his family's blood, "I-It's not that hard to figure it out…" She started saying, standing as well, a little wobbly but otherwise calm, "W-Well, at least, w-when you knew your m-mother personally…" She brought a hand to Derek's face, lovingly caressing it as she continued, "Her eyes… h-her cheeks… her n-nose… you have them all…" She gave him a glance over then, adding, "Everything else however… that's all your f-father's…" She smiled, adding while Derek narrowed his eyes, "Your just l-like your father… just like Lucifer."

* * *

Ichika grabbed his jacket and donned it, sighing deeply before he left his room and started walking down stairs, trying to be as silent as possible to not wake his sister up.

The young man was about to open the front door of his house but had to stop when a feminine stern voice was heard from behind him, saying completely unamused, "Where do you think you're going, Ichika?"

The boy in question sighed before he turned to face his sister, Chifuyu standing beside the stairs, her arms crossed below her bust as her honey-coloured eyes bored into him, irritated and worried, "I'm going out." Ichika stated with a frown, half-way angry, half-way scared.

"It's almost eleven, Ichika…" Chifuyu said with narrowed eyes, pointing at the darkened outside before she continued, "What in God's name would you be doing at this hour with those… 'friends'… of yours?"

Ichika did cowered a little, averting his gaze to avoid the elder Orimura, a frown still in place when he answered, "I-It's none of your business…"

Chifuyu got both angry and desperate, this attitude of her little brother was just not going away, strangely, only when she saw him playing football did he seemed to relax but he has refused to go and play again. She knew that the Hamilton heir was not one to go out of his way to help, Rias had told her that for him to help Ichika, they would have to push Ichika into Derek's orbit, but it's getting difficult with the worsening attitude of the black-haired teenager, "It is, if it involves you." She said sternly, though her tone was soft and her eyes were filled with worry.

Ichika felt when Chifuyu placed a hand on his cheek, the boy swatting it away with an angry grunt, stating, "Y-You're not mom, Chifuyu!…" He gasped, closing his eyes, angry and lost as he stated, "Stop p-pretending to be h-her…"

Chifuyu recoiled slightly at those hurtful words, her face didn't showed it, but Ichika certainly hurt her with them. Chifuyu has never considered herself worthy of being compared to their mother, someone she greatly respected.

"But I am your SISTER…" Chifuyu added with cold eyes, her tone composed and detached, but on the inside, she felt like curling and crying herself to sleep, "It doesn't take a detective to realise the kind of shit you're getting yourself into, Ichika."

The boy winced, unable to face the woman, muttering half angrily, "J-Just let me be, dammit!"

The two remained frozen after that, silent, unable to break the tension. That is until a loud honk won their attention, Chifuyu knowing that it was Ichika's gang getting impatient, "Fine then, do as you wish." It broke her heart to say that, but she couldn't force him to do anything, she knew that the more she tried to impose herself on him, the more he will pull away. Her only resource right now, was to just hope that he will eventually see the wrong of his path, preferably, before he does something really stupid.

Ichika said nothing, only turning his back on her and opening the door, walking out of the house and getting on a bike ridden by a shady looking guy, the troublemaker looking at Chifuyu from a distance, looking at her lustfully while he claimed, "Looking very nice, my love…" Chifuyu's response was just an incredibly harsh glare that despite his bravado, did made the delinquent shiver, "H-Hehe… f-feisty… l-love that…" He muttered before he nodded at his gang and roared their engines, steering away from the Orimura house, disappearing into the night.

Chifuyu could only grip the doorframe with a broken heart, her eyes near tears as she watched with a heavy stomach how her little brother went with those ruffians, praying to which ever god there was out there listening, to take care of Ichika for her, "Please… just b-be safe…" She whispered to herself before she went back into the house, knowing that for that day, she will not be able to have a minute of sleep.

* * *

Derek sighed as he made his way towards the field, tired beyond belief since for the first time in a while, he wasn't able to even rest throughout the night. Not even a trio with Tiamat and Rias helped to drain him of his energy, the two women ended up asleep before he even felt tired.

The reason of his restlessness was quite simple, Natalia Dracul, the Queen of Vampires and apparently, the best friend of his biological mother, Lilith.

 _'To think that she and Azazel were able to figure out who my biological parents were… I'm sure they're not the only ones…'_ He thought to himself, knowing that while he did managed to change his eye colour most of the time, his appearance was all but impossible to change and unfortunately for him, he was the spitting image of Lucifer Morningstar, the very first devil and Derek's biological father.

 _'I wasn't planning on revealing my heritage for a while now… heck, I was hoping that my condition got me first before I even had to reveal it…'_ He added, knowing that things were going to get incredibly tough once the world knows of his heritage, heck, once the world knows that he's not Lucifer's only son, _'I have to tell Vali that we're out of time, he needs to be ready, neither I nor him released Blue Ben, meaning that Rizevim was probably the culprit… shit… the world's going to lose their minds when they know that not one, but three Morningstar are alive…'_

It was in cases like this, that Derek felt like the young man he truly was. He's been broken, shaped into a tool of utter war and destruction, but despite that, when it came to his blood, to his cursed lineage, things were completely different, because he knew that he and the other Morningstar were received in only two ways, utter devotion and utter hate.

"Mm." The Hamilton hummed when he saw a familiar young boy sitting on a bench by himself, the kid was looking at the ground, thoughtful, sorrowed. Derek honestly didn't know what pushed him, but he walked towards him, saying impassively, "Hey kid, what are you doing here this early?" It was six in the morning, the sun was barely showing and classes were not going to start until eight. Derek had to be here for training, but Ichika had no reason to be here.

Ichika looked up to see the Hamilton heir, gulping while he scratched his scruff, looking to the side to say, "I… I s-slept here…"

Derek raised an eyebrow, inquiring, "Why? Don't you live with your sister?"

Ichika bit his lip, saying, "W-We… had a disagreement…"

 _'So you've been doing some shit at night, huh?…'_ Derek thought to himself while his eyes narrowed, recognising Ichika's face immediately, the face of a young person that's hanging out with the wrong crowd and was about to do something stupid, "Right…" The silver-haired heir muttered, looking at the field for a moment before he suggested, "Well, we're having a friendly match right now, you want to get in?"

Ichika looked surprised at that but he felt himself nodding without thought, the distraction of playing helping to chase away his fears and sorrows.

With that, the odd pair walked towards the field, entering it a couple of moments later and after changing into fitting clothes, they walked towards the pitch, were the rest of the boys were already stretching.

"Hehe…" One of Derek's teammates started chuckling when he saw the kid walking beside their captain, the brunette boy stating teasingly, "I see the Cap's setting his sights on that foreign beauty Chifuyu, huh?"

The rest of the team chuckled along, with one guy saying with mock despair, "Curse you, Hamilton! Leave some for us mortals, dammit!" Even Derek chuckled at that, knowing that Chifuyu Orimura was already the talk of many, since her stern attitude coupled with her amazing looks, made her an idol almost.

"Shut it, you mugs!…" Their coach suddenly approached them screaming, everyone, even Derek himself, flinching as the man with a temper and fierceness equal to the great Gennaro Gattuso, stood before them, saying once he noticed Ichika, "Who's the tender meat?"

Ichika paled as the coach looked at him, with Derek saying, "A brat interested in football, he has good reflexes and timing, he's fast as well…" He focused on the young Orimura adding after, "He could be a good striker."

"Mhm…" The coach nodded in a thoughtful pose, adding, "Alright, we'll give him a go today, go to the bench, kid, you'll be a substitute later on." Ichika nodded while the coach started naming the players to enter the field first and with that, the training began.

Ichika stared in awe as he watched the semi-pro team playing. He's never truly seen football matches before but he could certainly see why it was the biggest sport in the world, it was just, magical.

So caught up was he in his awe, that Ichika could barely hear when the coach screamed at him, "Hey, brat!"

Ichika turned his head at the coach, gulping before he said, "Y-Yes?"

"Get your sissy pants off and walk into that field!…" The coach stated, a player running towards the bench, the one that Ichika was supposed to substitute, "Show me what you got!" The coach added with a vicious grin.

"R-Right." Ichika muttered and quickly stretched before he stepped on the side-line, the player walking out patting his head with a reassuring smile, wishing him good luck. It was a relief for the Orimura when he saw that he was on Derek's side.

For the Hamilton, it was certainly a comical view. Ichika was fresh meat and everybody loved to mess with fresh meat. The kid was basically being manhandled every time he touched the ball, strong tackles, harsh pushes, rough brushes, everything. But, something that surprised him and the rest of the team, was that despite his touch being quite fragile and out of time, he was a complete natural, more often than not he was at the right place in the right time, and while his passes were adequate at best, they were still on target.

"The brat has potential." Derek heard his coach mutter at the distance.

Just before the end of the game, both teams in a tie, Derek managed to pull the mark of two defenders, the two opponents completely forgetting about Ichika, leaving him alone almost in front of the goal. So with a lovely show of skill, Derek dribbled between the two defenders and sent a cross to the blackette.

Ichika seemed surprised that he was alone and for a moment, it seemed as if he was going to bottle the chance, but almost by instinct, he somehow dropped the ball with his chest and in a clumsy manner, he managed to kick it to the side corner of the goal, leaving the goalkeeper unable to reach it and thus, scoring the winning goal.

"Well, look at the Cricket!" The coach screamed after the whistle, the whole team smiling at Ichika for scoring his very first goal.

"U-Umm… hehe…" Ichika chuckled sheepishly, not knowing what to say, this strange sense of achievement and content was something that had become so foreign to him that he didn't know how to react to it anymore.

The boy felt someone ruffling his locks, surprised to see that it was Derek himself, nodding at him with a miniscule approving smirk, stating, "Good job, Cricket."

Ichika was about to ask for the nickname, but he suddenly caught eye of a group of females looking at them from the stands, his mood dropping immediately when he saw his sister, smiling at him sadly, a sense of guilt filling his heart, unable to face the person he loved the most.

With that set, the players slowly started to leave the field, Derek taking some moments to talk to Rias who wanted to tell him something before he started heading to the locker room, seeing as Ichika was heading straight towards the exit, "Good game, Cricket, you should consider joining." The Hamilton said to the kid, again, something almost illogical for him making him say those things to the boy.

Ichika though, remained on his place, frozen, his hair blocking his eyes while his back was the only thing Derek could see, the boy whispering helplessly, "H-How…" He swallowed a lump, adding his question, "How d-do you know w-which way to go?" It was strange really, Ichika felt as if he and the Hamilton shared a connection, something that allowed them to understand one another without many words.

Derek stayed silent for a moment, wondering about these past days and how much the subject of parents seemed to appear. The Hamilton sighed, looking at his side before he answered as best as he could, "You don't…" He looked back at the kid, adding, "You just follow your gut and do your best."

Ichika shivered a little, asking again, "B-But if… if y-you make a mistake?"

"You learn from it…" Derek replied instantly, knowing that path very well, he succumbed to it once after all, "It's okay to make mistakes, Cricket, it's what you do after one, that makes the difference."

Ichika stayed silent, unmoving for a moment before he muttered, his voice hollow, "Thanks." With that, he left the stadium.

Derek narrowed his eyes at the kid, the tell-tales of a familiar story unfolding before his eyes, "We'll see how strong you are, Cricket." Derek muttered before he walked into the locker room. The kid needed to deal with his grief on his own first, otherwise, no amount of help will make the difference, as long as he didn't wanted to be okay.

* * *

"Ah Derek…" Sirzechs greeted the Hamilton when he entered the ORC, where the Devil King along with his {Queen}, were waiting for the British man, Sirzechs sitting on the couch while Grayfia stood diligently behind him, at the ready, "Thank you for coming."

Derek nodded, sighing while he placed his backpack on the floor next to the couch, stretching a little before he sat in front of the Lucifer and said, "It is a surprise to see you here already, Sirzechs…" He poured two glasses of whisky, handing one to the ex Gremory heir, adding after, "It seems as if everyone is too eager to be here already."

Sirzechs tilted his head, sipping the burning liquid before he inquired, "What do you mean?"

Derek sipped his drink as well, replying after, "Well, Azazel is already here…" Sirzechs raised an eyebrow, his surprise augmenting when the Hamilton added, "As well as none other than Natalia Dracul."

"Ah, yes…" The Crimson Satan muttered with a small nod, adding, "I too was surprised by her acceptance, but well, considering the risks, it makes sense…" He sipped the liquor again, continuing, "But for her to be here already, that is a surprise."

Derek remained quiet for a moment, shrugging, saying, "She said that she had a personal interest here in Luxembourg…" He drank his beverage, speaking again, "What that interest is? I do not know." He knew of course, but he wasn't about to reveal his secret to everyone if he could help it.

"Mm…" Sirzechs muttered, massaging his chin thoughtfully, commenting after, "Well, I doubt it's any troublesome interest, perhaps she just wants to sightsee or…" He smirked at Derek, adding knowingly, "Gauge a potential mate."

Derek snorted, shrugging as he said, "Perhaps…" He sipped more of the liquor and inquired then, "Now, what is it that you wanted to discuss with me?" Rias had informed him during morning practice that her brother requested an audience with him, hence the current exchange.

Sirzechs leaned back, his demeanour no longer friendly, but it wasn't challenging either, it was more of a big brother aura when he uttered, "Well, I just simply wanted to ask you something…" He narrowed his eyes at the Hamilton then, asking, "What is your purpose with Rias?"

Derek matched the aura, smirking slightly when he replied, "Well, the answer depends on who's asking…" The Hamilton leaned on, his draconic aura filling the room, matching Sirzechs', "The Devil King or Rias' older brother?"

Sirzechs smirked, amazed at the boy's fierceness, even when a being more powerful than him challenged him, he didn't even flinched, "I am asking as her brother."

Derek leaned back, sighing, running a hand through his hair. He wasn't nervous or doubtful of his feelings, he was more annoyed that he actually was going to admit them to Sirzechs, it really pissed him off to see how mellowed he's become lately, "If that is then…" He sighed again, closing his eyes, massaging his temples before he responded, "Rias' safety and happiness, are my priority…" He opened his eyes again, locking them to Sirzechs to continue, "While I do many… questionable… things, I do them all so that Rias and my women, get to keep their hearts intact, you know what I'm talking about…" Sirzechs nodded with a small smile, listening as the Hamilton went at it again, "All of my women, my people, I do it all for them."

Sirzechs leaned back, a small smile as he inquired, "Will you give her a child?"

"It that's what she desires, then yes…" Derek replied truthfully, shrugging, adding as an afterthought, "But not now, she's still not capable to bear the child of a dragon, once she reaches that level, we'll see."

The Devil King nodded with a small relieved smile, happy with the Hamilton's honest response, "Thank you, I never doubted of your integrity with my sister, I just wanted to make sure…" He sighed then, adding a with a small frown, "The truth is, that Rias has become a little distant with us, my parents mainly, because of Riser's fiasco… we understand and trust me, my father is greatly regretful of his pushing, but it's still hard to swallow."

Derek sighed, nodding, understanding their feelings, "I see…" He commented, adding, "But it is as you said, she's just sour about it all, it'll take time before her trust in you returns…" He cracked his neck, speaking again, "I would help her if I could, but I've never been good with this sort of things, I lost my parents when I was ten, so I have no clue how to deal with them."

The Lucifer nodded, stating, "I understand, but Rias is not as mature as you are, she has matured with you around sure, but she still holds that bratty side of hers…" He sighed, saying worriedly, "I just don't want her to suffer for our mistakes, that is why if she doesn't wants us, her family, to be there for her…" He stood up and bowed, saying with utmost sincerity, "I beg of you, please, take care of my little sister."

Derek sighed, nodding, muttering, "You don't have to ask me that, Sirzechs…" The man looked at him as the Hamilton continued, "As I said, Rias is my woman, I have a duty to her and I will fulfil it, no matter what."

Sirzechs stared at the Hamilton for a couple of seconds before he smiled, saying gratefully, "Thank you, I am in your debt…" With that, he turned towards his wife, nodding at the beauty who nodded back and started walking towards the door, with Sirzechs saying to the Hamilton, "Well, I know you're a busy man so I won't hold you any longer, thank you for this and I shall see you again soon."

Derek nodded and watched the powerful couple leave the room, leaving him alone in the ORC, his mind wandering to his memories with his parents, every moment he spent with them and how difficult it was to adjust to the world when they were gone, "Now that I think about it…" He muttered to himself, adding, "Vanessa's mother hasn't recuperated from her surgery…" He closed his eyes, trying to quash the sudden urge to flash to Vanessa and just be there for her.

He succeeded for the most part.

* * *

Rias sighed sadly after hearing Akio, looking at Gasper's door, wishing she could find an answer to help her precious {Bishop}, but she just couldn't find anything, "I'm such a failure of a {King}…" She muttered, looking at Akio with pained eyes, a bitter smile on her face as she continued, "I can't even help my precious people, not Akeno, not Koneko, not Mike, not Gasper… it was either Derek or you and Aleister that did it…" She bit her lip, frustrated at her inability, "How can they even follow me when I'm such a failure?"

Akio did lost her mischievous smirk at that, noticing how truly desperate the Gremory sounded, it was the first time that she actually saw the real Rias, a young woman that despite being powerful, had no idea how truly dark and stressful the real world was. So, the agent codenamed GhostThree sighed, stating with a small reassuring smile, "Because you try…" Rias looked at her surprised, tilting her head, listening as the blackette continued, "Most give up at adversity the moment it shows, you on the other hand…" She placed a hand on the redhead's shoulder, adding, "You don't waver, you stagger, but that's understandable, you are just entering into the real world, where hardships are more common than anything else."

Rias bit her lip, stuttering, "B-But…"

Akio though, cut her off with a sigh, muttering, "Rias, you can't really help someone that doesn't wants to be helped, no matter how hard you try, as long as they don't want the help, it's not going to make a difference."

Rias sighed, looking at Gasper's door again, inquiring, "Then what do you suggest?"

Akio smiled, commenting, "Back in the day, the one in charge of upping Al's mood was me, he was the youngest and I followed after him, so I understand little brothers well…" She smirked, stating as she started walking towards Gasper's door, "Leave it to me."

Rias sighed but smiled, trusting the woman, feeling that she might be the only one that could help Gasper, "Okay, thank you." The Gremory muttered before she disappeared in a magic circle, her business with her brother still not over.

Akio sighed once she stood before the door, her smirk disappearing, the woman turning around and placing her back against the wood, sliding down to the ground, sitting on her butt while her nape rested on the door, the small whimpers of the dhampir being the only sound heard before the female inquired, "Why are you afraid of your power, Gasper?"

The whimpers subdued a little, the kid seemingly trying to find an answer, saying after some moments, "B-Because… i-it's… s-scary…"

Akio sighed, asking another question, "Why is it scary?"

She heard as Gasper closed the distance with the door, whispering, "B-Because… I h-hurt my f-friends… I d-don't want to hurt my fri-friends…" She could picture the young lad hugging a teddy tightly as he continued, "I d-don't want this power… I w-want it goooone…"

Akio remained silent for a moment, listening at Gasper's whimpers before she whispered, honestly, "You know…" She looked down, a melancholic smile on her face when she continued, "I actually envy your power."

Gasper stopped crying, surprised, whispering with a weak broken tone, "W-Why?"

Akio rested her nape on the door again, her eyes closed, pouring her feelings in a rare moment to just state her honest thoughts, "If I had the power to stop time… then maybe… just maybe… I may have had a chance to stop to think through my decision of… betraying… the man I love…" She balled her fists, continuing, "I thought I was doing it for the right reasons and I may be right on that but… the way I went about… was all wrong."

The door suddenly opened just slightly, Akio able to see a small glimpse of Gasper while he asked with a barely audible whisper, "B-But what if you hurt them?… what if you lose c-control?… this power is meant t-to hurt…"

 _'I hurt them regardless…'_ Akio thought frustrated, but pushing those thoughts aside to answer the kid's questions, "Power has no will, Gasper…" The door opened more, the kid listening intently as the female continued, "You give it a purpose, a way, a will…" She held Gasper's hand, the vampire now fully visible when Akio concluded, "It is true that you can hurt people with your power, but you can also stop time to save them from getting hurt…" She then pushed a finger on Gasper's chest, finishing, "Your power it's not what makes the difference here, the kind of person you are, is what makes it."

Gasper teared up, a whole new perspective opening to him, a warm feeling in his chest as he gently fell in Akio's embrace, whispering, "T-Thank you."

Akio smiled, lovingly, remembering all the times she embraced Aleister this way, the feeling of being a big sister was always one that she treasured dearly, right up there with being Derek's lover, "Your welcome." It can only go up from here on.

* * *

A group of six people laughed while they exited the bar, three men and three women clumsily stumbling between each other, the cold and rainy night of London making them rub each other for warmth.

"Alright, why don't we look for another place to party!?" One of the guys said enthusiastically, throwing his arm around a rather beautiful blond-haired female who giggled.

"Sounds good!" The other woman, a black-haired female, replied with equal drunken enthusiasm, grabbing the hand of a handsome blond guy.

Everyone started nodding at that, all but a brunette woman, shaking her head as she stated, "I'm g-going to pass on this one, guys…" The other people groaned at her answer, with the woman adding, "It's late and I have to get home soon."

"Come on, Vanessa…" The last male said, pleadingly, a charming smirk on his handsome face while he added, "You have to unwind a little!"

Vanessa Jones smiled at the guy, charmed by his interest since he spent the whole night out flirting with her, but sadly for him, she was just not interested, "Sorry Tom, I'm just really tired." She said with an apologetic smile.

The guys and gals frowned at that, with the blackette woman saying, "Let me have some words with my besty here…" The rest of the gang started walking towards the parking lot, with the two females remaining outside the bar, the blackette saying to Vanessa, "Vane, you have to let yourself have some fun, Ms Head of the MI6!"

Vanessa sighed, tilting her head, replying, "I appreciate your worry, Ellen, but…" She eyed the guy that's been after her for quite a while now, the man smiling at her before he got into the car, "But I'm just not interested."

Ellen frowned, saying a little irately, "You have to stop hanging on the Prince, Vane…" She crossed her arms, pointing out, "You know that someone like him, is probably fucking some girl's brains out right now."

Vanessa sighed at that, knowing that her friend has never approved of her relationship with her master, and she really couldn't blame her either, "It's our relationship, Ellen…" The brunette stated, smiling a little at her friend when she added, "I know you don't understand it, but that's just the way it is."

Ellen just shook her head and walked towards their friends, without even saying goodbye, disappointed of Vanessa.

Vanessa for her part just waved at her friends and walked the other way, quickly finding her car and entering, sighing deeply as she stuck the keys on the vehicle.

She was about to start the car when her phone started ringing all of a sudden. Surprised, Vanessa grabbed the mobile device, her eyes widening when she saw the id, quickly answering, "M-Master?" She tried to hide her drunken state, but she was sure the Hamilton could tell.

" _Snort… Having fun, I see?"_ The Hamilton said with an amused tone.

Vanessa whined, saying, "I-I'm clear enough, I swear!"

She blushed when Derek chuckled, commenting, _"It's alright, Skipper…"_ She fiddled her fingers, her lover continuing, _"I was just calling for…"_ She bit her lip, expectant, surprised that her mentor seemed to genuinely struggle to continue, _"Just wanted to know how's your mother doing?"_

Vanessa tilted her head, confused since Derek was here in London, with her, just a couple of days ago, "W-Well… she's doing better…" She smiled, saying gratefully, "I'm very g-grateful to you and Lord Hamilton for g-getting her such care, M-Master."

Derek sighed on the other end, saying dryly, _"It's the least I can do."_

Vanessa wiggled, nervously listening the silence that ensued, confused for this strange behaviour she felt from her mentor. It wasn't a behaviour that would raise alarms in her head though, it was more of a gentle and caring one, he sounded as if he just wanted to hear her voice.

That made her smile widely.

"I-Is…" She stammered, biting her lip, gathering courage to ask, "Is e-everything alright… D-Derek?"

The Hamilton heir remained silent for some moments, saying suddenly, _"Say, Vanessa…"_ She hummed, the boy continuing, _"How would you like a small vacation?"_

Vanessa's eyes widened, her heart throbbing harshly, threatening to rip her chest open as she whispered, hopeful, "Y-You mean… w-with… _umm…_ you?"

 _"Yeah."_ Was Derek's dry reply, though she could hear the miniscule oscillations in his voice, genuinely struggling to say these things.

Vanessa managed to stop her joyful scream, choosing to say timidly instead, a huge smile on her face, "I w-would love that." She could already picture how amazing spending time with her lover alone for some days will be.

 _"Alright then…"_ Derek said, sighing before he added, _"After the meeting with the other leaders, I'll take you to Bora Bora or somewhere along those lines, I'll call you later."_

Derek didn't even gave her the chance to say goodbye, but she didn't mind it at all, she knew him well and understood that he was trying to sound and be as detached as possible, if only to save a little face, "I l-look forward to it…" She smiled, a loving tone when she finished, "… my love."

* * *

Derek tsked once he hanged up, staring at the screen of his phone for a moment before it locked, pocketing it again, sighing deeply before he brought a hand forward and balled it, saying to himself, "This change…" He narrowed his eyes at his fist, as if looking into his own very soul before he relaxed, inhaling, closing his eyes when he added, "Perhaps… it's not that bad."

He stayed like that for a moment before he started walking again, enjoying the night of Luxembourg, making his way to his home after having to stay behind at the Academy to discuss some stuff with Sirzechs, "Parents, feelings and two fricking leaders that know that I am the son of Lucifer…" He muttered bitterly to himself, adding after a snort, "What else can it happen?"

"N-No, please!" A feminine voice won Derek's attention to one of the alleys he was walking by, his blues landing on the scene of five male figures surrounding a quite beautiful young woman with a young kid on her side, protecting him while the gangsters leered on her.

"Then just give us the fricking money and you can go, bitch!" The one that seemed to be the leader, a tall and bulky blond man said, his lackeys tensing as he approached the woman.

"Y-Yes." The woman said before she grabbed her purse and made to give it to the gangster.

But, the little kid beside her stopped her, screaming at the guy, "No! My sister works hard f-for her money! Go away!" The kid threw minuscule punches at the leader.

"No! Stop!" The sister said desperately, trying to keep her little brother safe.

The leader smirked, the punches of the kid barely making him wheeze as he stated, "Little punk, you got spike, I'll give ya that…" He then cocked his fist back, adding with a cruel smirk, "But why don't I show ya who's the boss here, huh!?"

"NO!" The sister screamed desperately, closing her eyes subconsciously, not wanting to see her baby brother getting hit.

"ARGH!" The scream of the leader made the woman open her eyes, falling in shock when she saw a handsome silver-haired boy grabbing the wrist of the guy, wincing when she saw it bend wrongly, the leader screaming surely for the broken bones.

"Pathetic…" Derek muttered, impassively, his cold blues staring at the leader who could only scream while Derek still held his broken wrist. The Hamilton pressed on the wrist then, eliciting an even louder wail from the guy as Derek stated, looking at the woman and the kid out of the corner of his eye, "Go."

The sister and brother remained shocked for a moment before the woman shook her head and quickly picked her brother up, making to run before she stopped to say quickly, "I w-won't forget this! I-I promise! T-Thank you!" With that, she disappeared from sight.

"H-Hey, release the B-Boss!" One of the blond's goons screamed, showing a knife while the rest of the gang too showed their weapons, with one particular young looking guy wearing a hoodie shakily drawing a gun.

Derek narrowed his eyes at them all, the leader still wailing, fruitlessly thrashing below the Hamilton, "Get a job, knobheads." The Hamilton muttered before he suddenly clashed his fist on the leaders face, a sickening crunch resounding before the leader fell to the ground, unconscious.

"Y-You f…" One of them was about to say but stopped when a punch landed on his stomach, the guy vomiting blood before he passed out, falling on the ground as well.

Derek made quick work of another gangster, appearing beside him and brutally kicking the guy's shin, breaking the leg in a moment before he pushed the guy's head against the ground, the gang member lost in pain.

The two remaining delinquents shivered in fear, the youngest shakily aiming his gun at the Hamilton while he appeared before the oldest criminal, grabbing him by the neck, the guy weakly whispering, "S-S-Shoot him… d-dammit…" The young boy could only observe as the silverette hit the guy's face, a sickening crunch again filling the air before the delinquent fell to the ground, unmoving.

Derek stared at the hooded youngster, walking towards him with calm, but cold eyes, his aura filling the air when the Hamilton stood right before the barrel of the weapon, placing it right before his heart, pushing himself on it when he said, "What are you waiting for? Come on, shoot me…" He heard a nervous gulp, the gun shaking heavily when Derek continued, "What is it? Can't do it?…" Derek pressed, narrowing his eyes when he added coldly, "Don't have it in you, Cricket?"

The now identified Ichika Orimura gasped when he felt a strong gush of wind taking his hood down, his eyes shaking while his face remained shocked, staring at the Hamilton in both fear and despair, the gun still aiming at his chest, his finger trembling dangerously over the trigger.

Derek's eyes remained locked to Ichika's, unflinching, cold and terrifying, speaking with a cold tone, "This is it, Cricket…" He pushed himself even more on the gun, adding, "Make a choice. Now."

Ichika's tears started flowing while his hand shook uncontrollably, unable to find his voice, only capable of trembling and breathe harshly.

It took some seconds for Ichika to make his decision, his hand lowering the gun shakily, until it rested beside him. Derek observed as the kid walked towards him, pressing his forehead on his chest before he allowed his wails to be heard, breaking down right on Derek's body, in desperate need of comfort.

Derek just sighed after that, taking a hand to the top of Ichika's head, allowing the kid to break down while he muttered, "Good choice, Cricket…" He then heard the sirens of the police, close to them, so he said, "Come on, I'll get you something to eat." Ichika just nodded dumbly, allowing the Hamilton to take him wherever he wanted, the gun taken by Derek before he burned it to ashes and after a moment, he and Ichika disappeared from sight.

* * *

"And that's the other burger." A man said to Derek with a smile, handing the Hamilton a hamburger from the window of his food-truck.

"Thank you." Derek said with a nod before he walked towards the sidewalk, sitting on the floor next to Ichika while he quietly ate his hamburger, his eyes locked to the ground, still shaky and depressed.

Derek began eating his food then, not really knowing how to approach the boy, he might have accepted this change of his but that didn't meant he knew how to deal with it.

"D-Derek…" Ichika whispered, staring at his half-eaten burger before he timidly looked at the silverette in question, the Hamilton humming while biting his food, Ichika inquiring, "W-Why… w-why are you h-helping me?…" He didn't wanted to sound ungrateful, he knew well that Derek has just pulled him out of a very, very bad situation with the police. But, he was curious because for what he's heard and seen, the Hamilton was a quite cold and uncaring person, this was way out of his character.

Derek swallowed his food, sipping his coke and sighing contently before he replied after a long thoughtful moment, "Because…" He looked at the distance, though his eyes seemed to be looking at another time, "You remind me of myself."

Ichika widened his eyes, confused, not understanding how someone like him could elicit such memories, "W-Why?" He whispered his question, biting his burger after.

Derek chewed his food, again, looking at the distance as he replied, "My parents… they…" He focused on the kid when he continued, "They suffered a similar fate to that of yours… they were killed…" Ichika widened his eyes at that, shocked, listening as the Hamilton added, "And just like you, I too lost myself on my own grief."

Ichika stared at the older man, struggling to speak, gulping loudly before he whispered a question, "A-And… h-how did you… m-moved on?" It was the question he wanted the answer for the most.

Derek sighed deeply at that, his eyes falling to the ground when he replied, "I didn't…" He looked at Ichika who again was shocked by his response, the Hamilton explaining, "I allowed myself to fall into the darkness, I lost myself in my own grief, I saw enemies everywhere, I wanted revenge from everyone and I…" He struggled a little, "I hurt a lot of important people…" He focused on the agape kid, stating, "I guess… when I saw you… I… I felt like I could repent… make up to those that I hurt, if I helped you… if I stopped you from making the same mistakes I did."

Ichika was incredibly shocked, he might be young but he could still see how truly sorrowful the Hamilton was for whatever he's done. And with the moves and brutality he witnessed from the British a few minutes ago, he shuddered at the thought of said mistakes.

"W-Was…" Ichika started whispering, stopping for a moment before he finished his thought, "W-Was it… lonely?"

Derek sighed deeply at that, taking a big bite of his burger before he replied after swallowing, "Very…" He paused for a second, adding, "Painful as well."

There was a silence after that, the two males now focusing on finishing their food, quietly observing the darkened streets of Luxembourg while a couple of people and cars passed by.

It took a couple of minutes, but Ichika eventually asked meekly, "What s-should I… do now?"

Derek cleaned his mouth with a napkin, taking the last sip of coke before he sighed and replied, "You thrive…" He looked at the kid, standing up after a moment, adding, "You focus on your dreams and what you want to achieve, and you put your whole effort on that…" He shrugged, saying, "Revenge is sweet and all, but you'll end up losing more than what you gain, it's truly not worth the hassle…" He started walking, pushing two fingers on Ichika's forehead while he spoke, "Besides, you have a sister you also have to protect, so be a man and stop being a brat."

Ichika massaged his forehead before he ran to catch up with the Hamilton, silently falling into step, walking beside him, the two staying quiet for the duration of the walk.

The two soon reached Ichika's house, the lights still on, both knowing that Ichika's sister was surely worried sick, "Go on then, Cricket." Derek pushed him.

Ichika gulped and nodded, walking towards the door and after getting his keys out, he aimed to open it.

But, the door was open by Chifuyu instead, her face full of worry before it turned into relief as she saw her little brother, hugging him tightly, whispering lovingly, "Oh Ichika… I was s-so worried…" She heard Ichika whimper in her arms, whispering apologies for everything, it made her smile lovingly and say a little teary, "It's okay, little brother, it's okay now."

The two siblings remained like that for a moment before Chifuyu noticed Derek quietly observing them, making Chifuyu grab Ichika's face to say, "Go to bed, okay? It's late and we have school tomorrow."

Ichika cleaned his tears and nodded, looking at his saviour and now role model for a last time and nodding at him with a small smile, heading into his house moments after, doing as told.

Derek observed as Chifuyu walked towards him, the woman reaching him and once in front of him, she bowed, some tears falling onto the floor as she stated emotionally, "I-I… I c-cannot thank you enough… I… I a-am forever in your d-debt… M-Mr Hamilton."

Derek sighed, gently pushing her up by her shoulders, saying, "Derek's fine…" He brushed a thumb over Chifuyu's wet cheek, the sudden movement surprising both before the Hamilton added quickly, "And don't worry about it… the kid… just needed to see things on a different perspective."

Chifuyu stared at her hero, there was no other word to describe him now after helping her brother come to reason, she could now see why Rias fell in love with him, "R-Regardless… I am forever in your d-debt… D-Derek."

Derek sighed but nodded, knowing that it was fruitless to argue. He then looked back at the woman, saying, "I heard from Rias that you were struggling to get a job?"

Chifuyu swallowed, tilting her head at the sudden change of topic, but answering regardless, "Yes… I h-haven't had any luck so far…" She massaged her shoulder, adding, "We're fine with the inheritance for at least a year but… I don't w-want to lose too much time."

Derek nodded, scratching his chin while he said, "Then, let me make some calls, I can get you a very good job by tomorrow."

Chifuyu widened her eyes, stating frantically, "N-No… I… I c-couldn't burden you anymore… you… you've already done so much for me…"

Derek cut her off though, saying, "It's alright, it's no trouble really."

Chifuyu wanted to argue but decided to just accept his kindness, choosing to just be sure to repay him for everything he's done once she could, "Then, at the very least…" She started saying, looking at the side then, looking bashful all of a sudden, "L-Let me treat you to s-some tea."

Derek sighed, staring at the gorgeous woman for a moment before he looked at his phone, focusing on the time, "Alright…" He muttered when he saw that it wasn't that late, deciding that there was nothing to lose, so he just shrugged and added, "Lead the way."

Chifuyu nodded with a smile and led him to her house, smiling for the first time in a whole year, things may have been hard and painful, but everything seemed to be looking better now, after all, everyone, even her, can move on.

* * *

 **A/N: Uuuuuu... I'm sure some of you had already realised that Derek was the son of the first devil, I left alot of foreshadowing along the way! It's going to be exciting to see how the rest reacts when his secret gets revealed. But anyway, thank you for reading and until next time, cheers!**


	11. Comfortably Numb

**A/N: Yo! I'm actually kind of nervous for this chapter, even considered not posting it at all, but heck, not about to shy away now.**

 **WARNING WARNING**

 **DO NOT JUMP INTO THE CHAPTER UNTIL YOU'VE READ THIS DISCLAIMER!**

 **This chapter could seriously get me in real legal trouble (Google Count Dankula's case), but, when I started this story, I wanted to show the true horrors of war, I did not wanted to glorify it or make it cool. I am a history and war enthusiast, I've read a lot about and heard so much from my grandfather and relatives who fought in WW2, and as a service to them, I wanted to do my best to portray war's true nature. War is brutal, is the lowest point humanity can get to, the manipulations, the escape goats, the death, the atrocities, all of them concealed in the name of patriotism, I wanted to show that here. This chapter contains a disgusting act towards Muslims, to an individual and to the community as a whole, I did not enjoyed writing this, I made sure to show the disgust those actions caused in the good guys, but it was necessary to create division and hate in order to kick-start the war in a logical manner. If you are a sensitive person, or if you can't look past the racism in this chapter, then by all means ignore it. What is written here, in no way represents my thoughts on our current climate. The speech that it's here, does shows a little bit of my frustration whenever I see or hear the mainstream media, which sadly, is too biased to be even considered reliable anymore, but that's about it. I believe that in order for us to move into evolution, we all require to come together, but sadly, I think that due to our greed and stubbornness, unless a serious threat that forces us to unite appears, we will never reach unification. A sad thing since my dream is to see humanity conquering space, something that could only be achieved with unification. I disclaim all responsibility from the acts committed here, they were simply written to show an exaggeration of the current climate, do not take what's written here as facts or as a call to something greater, this is merely fiction and a way for me to drive this fictional world into war. I am merely using my right to freedom of speech. I am not a scholar or knowledgeable enough to be truly taken seriously in this manners, so take this story with a grain of salt.**

 **If you're okay with, then go ahead and read the chapter, let me know if you found my way to bring war, logical.**

"Derek" - Normal Speech.

 _'Derek'_ \- Thought.

 _"Derek"_ \- Derek mentally speaking.

 **"Ddraig"** \- Ddraig/Albion speaking through the Sacred Gears/Divinities talking.

 _ **"Ddraig"**_ \- Ddraig speaking inside Derek's mind.

* * *

 _ **War is not about heroes killing villains, war is about patriots killing patriots.**_

* * *

 **Comfortably Numb**

"Good morning, everyone!" Vanessa said to her subordinates when she entered the SIS, glowing, her whole demeanour that of a happy and fulfilled woman, surprising everyone in the room since she may usually be quite approachable, but she's never been this cheerful.

"Didn't Lord Derek was here four days ago?" One of the secretaries whispered conspiratorially to a co-worker.

The co-worker leaned on her friend's ear, her eyes following the cheerful Head of the department as she added, "Yeah, do you think Lord Derek is really that good in bed to leave an afterglow for days or do you think she got some last night with someone else?"

"I don't know…" The other woman was saying before she stiffened when Vanessa was heard saying.

"Good morning, you two…" The Commander leaned on them, saying with a happy smile, "Anything new to report?"

"N-Not really, m-ma'am." One of the two women commented, releasing a relieved sigh when the Commander bided them goodbye without anything else to say.

Vanessa ignored everything around here, unable to stop her heart from beating harshly at the memory of her lover's call, already impatient for the date to arrive so she can spend a whole weekend with the man she loved, to have him all to herself.

"C-Commander." Stephanie, Vanessa's secretary, said to her superior when the brunette walked out of the lift, confused by the overly cheerful demeanour of the woman.

"Steph! Such a good day, isn't it?…" Vanessa said with a smile before she leaned on the woman's desk, asking, "Is there anything I need to know?"

Ignoring the woman's excitement, Stephanie shook her head, clearing her throat before she replied, "Y-Yes… umm…" She focused, stating, "A package arrived for you this morning, it had the signature of the MI5."

Vanessa tilted her head, thoughtful, "Strange, don't remember asking anything from them…" She shrugged, adding nonchalantly, "Probably some bunch of documents regarding the Russian poisoning incident."

Stephanie nodded, saying, "P-Perhaps, I have your schedule right here, ma'am."

Vanessa smiled, grabbing the paper and saying, "Thanks! Please, refrain from sending me any calls or visits, I have some things I must take care of for the day."

The assistant smiled and with that, Vanessa twirled around, heading towards her office, a quick glance to the calendar making her frown for the fact that she still had to wait some days for her vacation with Derek to commence.

She subconsciously grabbed the cross that Derek gifted her when she began her apprenticeship under him, closing the door of her office and walking towards the window, observing the city of London, her home, with a smile before she walked towards her desk and sat on her chair, inhaling deeply.

Jones' eyes wandered towards the two pictures on her desk, one taken on the day of her graduation, with her father and mother behind her while her sister and brother stood beside her, everyone carrying proud smiles. The other one, was a very rare picture of her with Derek, he was sitting over a boulder, looking at the wilds of Ireland's forests, while Vanessa was resting her face on his shoulders, a content smile on her face. The picture was taken by Aleister, surprisingly, Derek didn't minded.

"Get to work, Vanessa…" She admonished herself for daydreaming, shaking her head and focusing on the package right in front of her, wondering if the MI5 had any lead on the strange poisoning, "Let's see what we have here." She muttered.

The British female grabbed the package and brought it near her, unwrapping the cover, seeing a box that she opened, a small note left over something solid, like a metallic case, "What is this?…" She muttered, grabbing the note and reading it aloud with a raised eyebrow, "…'For Tomorrow'…"

Too late she heard the clicking.

"Wh…" Her speech was cut off when the case in front of her exploded, a huge explosion following throughout the MI6 building after, the screams of people and the sound of the building falling apart resounding throughout the whole capital of the UK.

"OH MY GOD!"

"HELP!"

"ARGH!"

"S-SOMEONE!"

"P-PLEASE!"

It was utter madness, the people around the MI6 building could only scream in despair as the flames and debris fell upon them. Parents looking for their children, lovers looking for their one and only, children looking for their parents.

People looking for their missing limbs.

All while at the very least half of the SIS Building collapsed into the River Thames, the sirens of the ambulances, police and military approaching the scene, all of that drowned by the cries and despair of a city that once again, had been cowardly attacked.

* * *

"Well…" Sirzechs said with a small gentle smile as his eyes surveyed her sister's clubroom, very crowded at the moment. Besides him and his wife, Serafall Leviathan, Azazel, Natalia Dracul, Derek Hamilton and his people, as well as Rias and Sona with their respective peerages, were all present in the room, though, it was mainly to attend to the five dignitaries having a friendly meeting, "What a wonderful moment this has been, for us to have a pre-meeting in such friendly terms."

Azazel, Natalia and Serafall nodded with small smiles, sharing the sentiment. Derek's only response was a small nod of acknowledgment.

"Indeed…" Natalia commented, sipping her tea, saying after, "Now, I do not know if this is something that will be covered on the meeting but…" She focused on the son of her late best friend, inquiring, "Mr Hamilton, is it possible for you to tell me about the possibility of war in the planet? Me and my people live in the human plain after all, I feel it as a need to know if I have to worry about nukes falling around."

The whole room fell silent at that, observing the Hamilton critically as the man narrowed his eyes, pondering on the request. He sighed deeply then, muttering with eyes closed, "I guess it can't hurt…" He leaned on Rias' desk, cracking his neck before he commented, "Though, I can't reveal specific details, depending on the way the meeting goes I may be able to share specific information but for now, I can only give you a summary."

Natalia smiled gratefully at that, nodding, "I appreciate it."

Derek sighed and looked straight at the Vampire Queen, stating, "The possibility of a nuclear war is still fifty-fifty…" He leaned on, adding gravely, "But World War Three is inevitable."

Their eyes widened at the assertion, Derek seemed completely sure on his affirmation, "Is it that grim?" Azazel commented, knowing that out of every species on this planet, humans and dragons were the most violent.

"It has already begun actually…" Derek's response was met with multiple gasps, the Hamilton explaining, "Just a week ago, North Korea revealed a South Korean assassination plot, it appears that one of Kim's guards was a Southern sleeping agent, there is also evidence that the Americans had a big part in it…" He walked towards the window, continuing the grim explanation, "The two Koreas have already begun preparing their militaries, it is expected that within the next weeks, hostilities in the border will commence."

"But…" Sirzechs started saying, continuing, "Can't it be contained?"

Derek shook his head, replying, "It's already a proxy war, the true objective of the war is to see who controls that sector, Russia or the USA…" Derek focused on the people in the room, adding, "The Koreas are mere puppets for those two… it's predicted that the conflict will spill into Asia within the next few months, fuelled by Russia's also inevitable civil war…" His words just continued to frighten the occupants in the room, "To that, add the increasing boldness of the terrorists groups in the middle east, none authorized nuclear weapons in eastern Europe, the sudden unification of South America that has the USA sweating and the increasing fascism within the left side of the political spectrum in the west, and you have yourself the kick-start of global war within the next two years, perhaps even as soon as in a couple of months."

Everyone was stunned, unable to utter a word as they heard the Hamilton's summary, it looked horrible, "F-Fascism in the left?…" Sona commented, fixing her glasses before she inquired, "Isn't the left supposed to be an egalitarianism mind-set?"

Derek nodded, explaining, "That is correct, but with the rise of a couple of movements, as well as with the sudden prosecution of free speech and placing feelings above facts, the radical left has turned into the exact same thing as the radical right…" He sighed, adding, "The radical right desires a fascist government, while the radical left despises one, but they are okay with using their tactics, overall, both have become the same, using the same procedures, with just a different goal."

"I see…" Azazel muttered, scratching his chin before he added, "If I catch on what you're implying, then both sides are becoming oppressive and have been taking away freedom of speech…" He focused on the grandson of his creator and concluded, "And if there is one thing that living creatures hate the most…"

"Is their freedom being threatened." Natalia concluded, her eyes wide at the implications.

"Correct…" Derek nodded, adding, "It is only a matter of time before something drastic occurs, something that will cement either the left or the right as the bad guys, and when that happens, division will follow and thus, the fight for supremacy comme…" He stopped mid-sentence however.

Everyone was confused when the silverette suddenly turned towards the window, his eyes aimed at the distance, as if trying to focus on something far away, "D-Derek?" Rias asked, uncertain and worried for the sudden demeanour of her lover.

Before the Hamilton could say anything, his phone ranged, the boy grabbing it from his pocket, staring at the screen for a moment, his eyes troubled before he answered the call, "Pops…"

" _Turn on the news, now."_ Jonathan was heard saying gravely.

Derek ignored everything and quickly grabbed the remote, turning on the flat-screen on the ORC, quickly surfing through the channels until he found a news station.

" _=e repeat…="_ The whole room froze when the images of a destroyed building in the middle of a city, along with rescue services flooding the area around, was shown, the reporter saying urgently, " _=If you're just tuning in, the SIS Building has suffered an attack."_

"S-Satan." Akeno muttered, shocked, trembling along with everyone else as they observed the horrific images. People all over the place, dead, detached limbs, children crying, it was utterly horrible.

" _=The official statement from the Government, is that there is evidence to suggest that a bomb was detonated from inside the building…="_ The reporter moved a little closer to the scene, adding, " _=Some witnesses have reported to notice that the first explosion occurred at the top of the SIS building, right where the office of the Commander Jones was located.="_

"B-Boss…" Akio muttered, shaking, observing as her leader seemed to realise the horrific truth.

" _=The current official toll of casualties stands at over eight hundred people, though most of them are from those around the building…=_ " The camera then moved to the river, with the reporter continuing, " _=There are still over a thousand people missing, including most of the workforce of the MI6… the only casualties confirmed so far, has been of two hundred and sixty two government officials, including the head of the department, Commander Vanesa Jones.="_

Akio and Aleister gasped at that, horrified, looking at their leader with worried and uncertain eyes, "W-Wait…" Rias commented, alarmed, looking at her lover to ask, "W-Wasn't she…"

Derek finished her thought for her, stating dryly, "My apprentice…" No one in the room could utter a single word, still shaken by the horrific event, "I'll be there shortly." Derek then said to his grandfather before he ended the call, sighing and fixing his jacket.

"D-Derek…" Tsubasa whispered, worried, like the rest of Derek's women, all of them wanting to comfort him despite not looking at all shaken.

"You must forgive my leave…" Derek started saying to the rest of the leaders, all of them nodding at him understandably, the Hamilton adding, "But as you can see, something has come up…" He walked towards the door, saying, "We shall meet on the day of the meeting."

He walked out of the room after that.

Aleister and Akio followed him, the two agents catching up to him, with Akio saying, "W-Wait, Derek, we're coming with…"

Derek cut them off however, ordering, "No, you have to stay here to ensure that nothing shady happens."

"B-But…" Aleister tried to argue but his boss intercepted.

"No buts, Aleister, I do not trust them, we can't just let them roam freely without supervision…" Derek started walking, his subordinates frowning but doing as told, the Hamilton speaking again, "It's not going to take too much time anyway."

"Are you going alone!?" Akio asked before he was about to leave.

Derek looked at the two, shaking his head, responding, "No, I'm taking Kushina with me…" The two agents seemed surprised by that, with Derek commenting before he teleported away, "She wants to be my apprentice, let's see if she has the stomach for it."

* * *

"Oh… goddess…" Kushina whispered horrified, her eyes wide, forced to cover her nose as the nauseating scent of blood and death filled her nostrils. She and Derek Hamilton have just arrived to the city of London via the Hamilton's special teleportation technique.

The day had begun quite normal for the redhead, she had woken up early in order to practice her swordsmanship before her training with Akio would commence. She was excited because Aleister had told her that she had potential and with Akio adding that if she continued like that, sooner than later she could consider herself apprentice of the renowned Human God.

But, Derek Hamilton appeared during mid-day, his demeanour and urgency alerting her and the other women under his care. He wasted no time and explained the situation overall, needless to say, everybody was shocked.

But the Uzumaki was even more shocked when Derek told her to get ready, since he wanted her with him for the duration of this mission. She was excited of course, seeing it as a chance to prove herself, but Akio had messaged her, explaining that Derek's apprentice had died on the incident and that the Hamilton wanted to see if she had what it takes to be the apprentice of a man who was not a hero.

She took this as a chance to figure it out herself as well.

But the scene before her was something she wasn't expecting, it was so horrifying to see such devastation and despair, it was palpable.

"MY DADDY! WHERE IS M-MY DADDY!?" The broken screech of a girl who couldn't be older than six years old, made Kushina struggle to restrain her tears when her violet orbs landed on the kid. She had bandages all over her head and she could see that she had lost a couple of fingers, but the look the two paramedics where giving to each other, told her that the father was probably dead.

"Come on, Kushina." Derek's voice won her attention back, making her shake her head and inhale deeply, knowing that only if she ignored her morbid surroundings, could she be capable of withstanding it.

Instead, she started following the handsome silverette, feeling surprised to see that he had barely an expression as they passed by the destruction.

"Master." Derek's proclaim made her surprised, never expecting that the Hamilton had a master of his own.

The man in question was a quite powerful looking old man, he seemed to be in his mid-forties, a patch on his left eye-socket, probably hiding an injury of some sorts. He was wearing a black military gear, the badges on his suit letting Kushina know of his high ranking.

"Ah, Derek, you're finally here." The man said with a grim tone. Kushina feeling amazed by the sense of respect she could feel coming from Derek towards the old man.

Derek nodded, looking around the destruction before he muttered, "Is it true?"

Lewis Butland, head of the S.A.S and Derek's mentor sighed deeply, saying, "I am afraid it is…" He pulled something out of his pocket, handing it to the Hamilton before he said sorrowfully, "I'm sorry, Derek, she was a magnificent soldier."

Derek observed the cross in his hands, the one he had given to Vanessa when he acknowledged her as his apprentice, memories of the past, including his conversation with her just yesterday, assaulting his head.

But he shook it all away.

"She was…" Was all Derek muttered, keeping the cross in one of his pockets, his eyes wandering towards the scene before he inquired, "What is the official death toll?"

Lewis sighed, his eyes angry and sombre when he answered, "So far, one thousand eighty two…" He focused on his student then, adding, "There are still over two hundred people missing however, so the toll is sure to change during the day."

Derek just nodded before his phone alerted him of a message, the silverette looking it before he focused back on his mentor, saying, "It's my grandfather, everyone is waiting for us now."

Lewis nodded, calling one of his lieutenants over to order, "Stones, take care of things here while I'm gone, got a meeting with the boss."

The young soldier saluted dutifully and with that, Derek, Lewis and Kushina boarded a military vehicle, driven by Derek.

Lewis looked at the backseat, where the female Uzumaki was nervously sitting, the old man saying with a small friendly smile, "And who might you be, young lady?"

Kushina fidgeted a little, looking at the man to reply, "I a-am Kushina Uzumaki, s-sir."

Lewis nodded with a hum, seemingly understanding her true origins. But, he focused on his student, asking, "Is she your next student?"

It was shocking for Kushina to see the two men speaking about this when Derek's previous student just died moments ago, but she figured that they were trained to put emotions aside, something made known when the Hamilton replied dryly, "Aspirant…" The silverette had his eyes set on the road when he concluded while giving a quick look at the female through the rear-view mirror, adding, "We'll see if she has the stomach for it."

Kushina just gulped.

* * *

"Sir!…" A young female soldier saluted the group when they entered Thames House, the female soldier saying after being acknowledged, "There is a woman claiming to be waiting for you, milord." The soldier pointed towards their right.

"Hi." Kuroka made her presence known when she walked diligently towards her lover, keeping her hormones down, knowing the gravity of the situation and that despite what he may show, Derek was definitely hit by his apprentice's death.

Derek nodded at his lover, saying to the female soldier, "She's with me."

The soldiers escorting Kuroka, who was wearing a black military suit, nodded at their leader and walked away, leaving Kuroka to walk towards her mate.

"Are you sure they're going to be okay with this?" Lewis asked his student with a raised eyebrow while they walked through the MI5 building, the four people walking into a lift that soon later, started working.

Derek looked at his lover and Kushina out of the corner of his eyes, he knew that Kuroka was no problem, he had called her here for specific reasons, but Kushina, well, he wanted to see her resolve.

"They have to." Derek's reply was as short as it was dry.

Kuroka and Kushina observed as Derek's mentor just snorted before the lift stopped, the door opening to reveal a long corridor, which they started traveling through, many rooms with frantic people working overtime at the sides of the corridor, all of them wearing red and black military suits.

"U-Umm…" Kushina whispered to Kuroka. She was a little nervous because she could feel the yōkai blood in the sexy blackette, but deciding to put that aside, she inquired silently, "I-Isn't that…" She pointed towards the large banners hanging on the sides of the corridor, a black background with a blood-red circle in the middle, a white pattée cross acting as symbol, "A T-Templar cross?" She finished her question, confused for the strange secret organization feeling she was having inside the strange facility.

Before Kuroka could say anything, Derek was the one that replied, "It is…" Knowing that the Uzumaki was confused and startled, he explained while they arrived to their destination, "We are the Templar Order…" Kushina's eyes widened in shock at the revelation, "Though, we have no connection with the original order, we came to be when there was a necessity for order in Europe."

Kushina trembled, shocked to hear and see such secret world, muttering a question, "Y-You mean…"

"We, the Templars…" Lewis began saying, explaining, "Have ruled over Europe and other parts of the world for over six hundred years."

Kuroka had to refrain from chuckling at Kushina's stupefied face, she herself reacted in the same manner when she found out that her beloved was an actual Templar.

Kushina sweated, scratching her nape sheepishly, saying with an awkward chuckle, "Hehe… you're gonna tell me now that the Illuminati are real…" She stopped chuckling when Derek and Lewis looked at her with small smirks, the redhead asking stupefied, "T-They are!?"

Derek shrugged, saying, "They are our biggest rivals, but their territory is America."

Kushina could only stutter like a fool after that.

"We're here." Lewis commented, his tone now severe.

Derek nodded and looked at both Kuroka and Kushina, the two women nodding back, understanding the message to be diligent and silent.

The four people stood before a big door, two guards saluting them before they opened them, the four people walking in moments later.

The room was huge, it was a Victorian styled room with many paintings of untold value, the colour-scheme falling into the Templars legendary colours, red, black and white, a big circular table in the middle of the room, with a total of twelve seats, ten of them occupied.

Kushina and Kuroka silently stood near the Hamilton heir, who took a seat besides his mentor and a beautiful blonde haired woman, greeting the people present. It was surprising for Kushina to see that everyone seemed to have guards, as there was another dozen of people standing behind the main members.

"Good, you're here now…" Jonathan Hamilton said once Derek and Lewis took their seats, the core twelve members of the Templar Order now gathered to discuss the crisis at hand, "We can finalise our discussion."

Derek nodded, commenting as he leaned on the table, his eyes narrowed when he commented, "I already got the gist of it, so let's jump into the conclusions."

Jonathan nodded, beginning as he leaned back and eyed everyone on the table, "Very well…" He grabbed a folder, stating, "From the official report made by our own agents, we concluded that there were at the very least, nine explosives inside the SIS."

A black-haired woman leaned back, commenting with eyes narrowed, "So it wasn't a simple terrorist attack, then?"

Jonathan shook his head, saying, "No, it was planned and for the looks of it, it took time to prepare…" He looked back at his grandson, adding, "The first detonation was traced to Vanessa's office, it appears that it was the catalyst."

Derek massaged his chin, turning towards his uncle, Lance Hamilton, who commented, "But how were they able to sneak a bomb in her office? She had some of the country's top soldiers there."

"A package." Jonathan uttered, leaning back on his seat, tired beyond belief.

"A package?…" An old looking man inquired, adding, "How do we know it was that way?"

Jonathan rubbed his finger over the touch screen in the middle of the table, the live feed of what it appears to be an interrogation room with a single male in it appearing, the Hamilton patriarch explaining, "This man, Sayid Masih, is one of the delivery men working for the MI5 and MI6, he was the one that delivered the package…" He grabbed another folder and waved it, adding, "Though, it was all official, there is a record of said package, signed by the MI5's office and all."

"Is he involved in this?…" Derek commented, focusing on the man before he added, "What do we know of him?"

Jonathan though, shook his head, replying, "No, he came on his own and explained it all to us…" The old man focused on the delivery guy, adding, "We did a background check on him, a refugee, has been here in the UK for six months and just recently started working here after getting a clear from the office, leaves with his also refugee wife in Brent, both law abiding citizens in every regard."

"Then the culprit is here in the MI5?" The blonde woman next to Derek inquired, a small tone of alarm in her voice.

"Was…" Jonathan said, confusing the others before he swiped the screen to show two pictures of another man, one was his identification as lieutenant and the other one was of his dead body, a bullet hole on his skull, "He was found dead this morning on his apartment, with this little note on his hand." He showed said note to the rest, throwing it at the middle of the table.

"Revolution…" A man read the note aloud, confused.

"The English for 'Novum'." Derek muttered with eyes narrowed, the gasps of the members resounding as it dawned on all of them.

"Then, they are responsible for this?" Lewis inquired, alarmed.

Jonathan sighed, answering, "Hard to know, but so far, they are the only ones claiming responsibility…" He leaned on then, his face turning stern when he added, "Unfortunately, this is not an explanation we can give to the public."

The room fell into a tough tension, the eleven members of the Templar Order seemingly seeing where their leader was going, "What are you getting at, Jonathan?" Sir Evelyn said with eyes narrowed, though, there was a small smirk on his face as well.

Jonathan eyed everyone, saying, "An opportunity…" He stood up, sipping his glass of whisky before he explained further, "In about six to eight months from now, World War Three will commence…" Everyone leaned on, eager to listen what followed, "We all know it is inevitable and unfortunately, we, Europe, are not prepared."

The black-haired woman tilted her head along with some of her fellow members, stating, "Jonathan, we have the most powerful army in the world, neither the US nor Russia know about the still very much alive British Empire, how are we not ready?"

Jonathan nodded, but explained, "Our armies are vast, but the problem is not our soldiers, but our people…" His words were met with more raised eyebrows, prompting the son of the late King to say in even more detail, "The last generation, has become petulant, entitled and weak-minded…" He placed a hand on his chair's back-rest, continuing, "We have youngsters asking for 'safe spaces' and 'trigger warnings' in Colleges, calling everything they disagree with 'hate speech', completely disregarding the primal reason of Universities…" He leaned on, his eyes angry when he continued, "Worse, we have adults indulging this folly, politicians placing feelings above facts, judges convicting people for a simple Nazi joke, and spitting out statistics and polls that have no true substantial evidence whatsoever, misinforming the young and in turn, making them all fall into this false sense of victimhood."

"I see your point…" Lance commented, asserting his father words when he added, "These wave of overly-offended people won't be able to even survive on their own in a potential state of war…" He focused on his father, continuing, "A state in which we, the government, will focus all of our resources and attention in the war effort."

"The people will have to fend off for themselves in the meantime…" The blonde woman nodded while saying, adding later, "If these people get so worked up about a simple joke, then the mere thought of them protecting the country from enemy forces…"

"Is laughable at best." Another member of the Order said grimly, everyone now understanding the problem.

"They can't fight with their keyboards and morals…" Jonathan added, sitting back, continuing after a sip of his drink, "We need people mentally prepared for war, we need people prepared to survive the horrors that are about to come…" He narrowed his eyes, finishing sternly, "We need patriots."

The room fell into a grim silence after that, with one of the Templars asking, "And how do we create them?"

"We give them an enemy…" Derek commented, the whole room turning to him as he changed the screen to show the delivery man once again, the son of Lucifer looking at the man in it, stating, "We pine the responsibility on someone they can see and lash out against…" He looked at his grandfather then, asking, "That's why he's still there, isn't it?"

Jonathan remained quiet.

Slowly, the gasps of understanding fell upon each of the occupants in the room, with none other than Esdeath Rothschild, who was present as her grandfather's guard, walking towards the table to say shocked, "Hold on a m-minute…" The Templars looked at the heiress, listening as she asked in disbelief, "You're not t-thinking on using him and his people a-as… scape goats… are you?"

"It is regrettable…" Jonathan commented, a genuine sense of regret in his voice present, but still saying without looking back, "But it has to be done…" He focused on the Templars, ignoring the shocked eyes of the younger ones to continue, "This will most likely spark a prosecution of Muslims and those that protect them in our country and the rest of Western Europe, this in turn will plant the seeds of hate and division, kick-starting our natural sense of protecting our home."

"A warm up for the real thing." The blonde Templar muttered with eyes closed and a sense of disgust.

Kushina could barely believe what she was hearing and seeing, _'A-Are they… a-are they really using t-this horror to…'_ She couldn't even finish her thought, she had no idea how to deal with these horror.

"We need division…" Jonathan muttered, aware of the atrocities they were about to commit, "We need hate, rage, anger, avengers, those make for the strongest soldiers."

"And what are we going to do after the war, father?…" Lance commented, he understood the why, but he still found it incredibly disgusting, "How can we come back from this after the hostilities?"

"Don't be naïve, Lance…" Sir Evelyn commented, his eyes narrowed when he continued speaking, "This is most likely the last war Humanity will fight amongst themselves, we either end up in a nuclear fallout that eventually kills us all…" He sighed, leaning back, adding with a mocking hopeful tone, "Or this unites us all."

Jonathan focused on his son, adding to his fellow elder's words, "It's inevitable and you know it, Lance…" He then eyed everyone in the room, reminding them, "Our duty is not to the outsiders, our duty is to those under the Templar blessing, remember your vows."

There was no sound after that, it was just fruitless to disagree once you considered the bigger picture. Their job was not to be heroes, their job was to ensure the survival of Western Europe, no method was too much when it came to her safety.

"The problem is…" Jonathan spoke after the tense silence, earning the attention of the room again when he continued, "That we cannot just frame this man, we'll be risking him revealing the ploy later down the line."

"And we can't just kill him in jail because it will raise suspicions." A Templar commented, earning a nod from his leader.

Jonathan stared at their scape goat, laying the plan, "We need to make him BELIEVE he did it…" He focused on his grandson, a part of him pained for putting this on him, but he squashed it, they made a vow and they had to follow it through the very end, "We need to break him, to make him lose his mind, enough for him to believe he actually did it."

The whole room stared at the Hamilton heir after those words, knowing that there was no man capable of breaking someone like the handsome silverette, it was truly terrifying.

 _'I was a fool for thinking that I could actually change…'_ Derek thought to himself, focusing on the delivery man as he added mentally, _'I was breed for war… I am a monster… I am the son of Satan… this… is my role…'_ He was sure that a part of him that was slowly mending, was now back in shambles, "It will be done."

His voice, made even Esdeath shiver.

"Then…" Jonathan said after a pause, continuing, "You all know what to do…" He and the core members stood up, with the patriarch ordering, "Be ready, the world is about to enter its darkest night in a year's time, we cannot afford to be unprepared."

Everyone nodded and the twelve Templars grabbed the goblins before them, a red substance inside the cup, the twelve members lifting them up in a toast, speaking in a unison oath, "With this oath, I state my strong and irrevocable intent." They drank the liquid in one sip then, bowing to each other before everyone broke the formation.

"Let's go." Derek said to Kuroka and Kushina, not even allowing anyone a moment to speak to him. He needed to be ready for the horror he was about to commit, he needed to remind himself that it was all for the greater good, he needed to remember that he was a monster.

He strangely found comfort in the horrifying void in his heart.

* * *

Kushina and Kuroka walked silently behind the Hamilton as he surfed through the corridors of the facility, silent, morbid and terrifying.

The Uzumaki could feel it, the darkness in the young man's heart and how at ease he was with it. It should have scared her, it should've made her reconsider her desire to learn from him, it should frighten her to know that she will be expected to commit this things under his wing.

But it didn't.

She attributed it more to the talk she had with her sister just before she left Kyoto, words that still rang loudly in her mind.

 _"Kushi, you have to understand that Derek Hamilton belongs to the group that rules the Human world and thus, you will see and hear things that will disgust you, frighten you, but you need to understand that as leaders, we are not heroes, we are not here to make you happy, we are here to ensure your safety, no matter the method."_

It was clear for her, that her sister had her fair share of sins, _'T-This… we're not heroes… w-we're guardians…'_ She came to that conclusion and inhaled, preparing her heart for what she was about to witness.

"You two can wait for me here…" Derek said to the two females, looking at them over his shoulder, his eyes cold and deadly when he added, "I don't think you're ready for what's about to happen."

Kuroka, despite what some may think, has never liked the kind of things that Derek is forced to make, the kind of shit she's witnessed him doing, still hunts her to this very day. But, she loved him, dearly, and thus, she knew that he was broken, that he needed her right now and so, no atrocity will keep her away from the man she loved, "You're not getting rid of me, beloved." She said, lovingly.

Derek sighed and turned to look at Kushina, who closed her eyes and inhaled, opening them again to say with absolute resolution, "I want to be useful to you, Master, this is something I must overcome to do so."

Derek stared at the Uzumaki, inspecting her, quite surprised to see that she was being honest. Oh, she was wary and afraid, but she was genuinely putting the effort to endure it, _'She might just make it…'_ He thought.

"Very well…" Derek said and walked towards the end of the corridor, where a door with two guards awaited them, "Wear this…" He handed them two pieces of cloth, the Hamilton explaining, "I need you to be unflinching, if you see what I'm about to do, you won't stand it, so cover your eyes and remain stoned, that is an order."

The two women gulped and grabbed the clothes, nodding and doing as told, using their senses to safely follow the Hamilton without their eyes.

The trio finally reached the door, the two guards saluting as Derek said coldly, "Prepare the wife." The two guards nodded and made their way towards said woman.

 **TORTURE WARNING**

Derek inhaled, closing his eyes before he found his resolution and opened the door, his eyes cold and unwavered when he witnessed the poor delivery man, sitting on a metallic chair, sweating, impatient and afraid.

"Mr Masih." Derek said with an emotionless tone, Kushina and Kuroka standing beside the door, stiff, at the ready for anything while the Hamilton walked to sit in front of the man, his cold blues instilling fear in his heart.

"L-L-Lord Hamilton…" The man said, stuttering and sweating, not understanding why he would still be detained and worse, why would the hero of Britain be here with him, "W-What is going on? I-I… I a-already said everything I k-know… I s-swear…"

Derek leaned back, nodding while he said, "We know, Mr Masih, but that is not why you're detained."

The man shivered, his eyes trembling when he whispered weakly, "T-Then w-why?"

Derek leaned on, deadly, replying, "Simply put, because you were in the wrong place, at the wrong time…" The man seemed extremely confused, so Derek stood up and developed a stern posture, continuing, "It was discovered that you are the responsible for the bombing, Mr Masih."

The man gasped, screaming frantically, "I-I w-wasn't! I-I… I-I explained it all! I a-am innocent… I have n-never broke the law!"

Derek cut him off though, speaking over him, "And for that, you have our thanks…" He focused on the crying man, continuing, "But to be honest with you, your guilt serves a purpose…" He narrowed his eyes when he suddenly clicked his fingers, the door of the room opening after, two male guards pushing a female person with her face covered by a bag, roughly sitting her before the man, "And I must ask you to cooperate." He removed the bag from the woman, revealing the delivery man's wife.

The man's mouth trembled, sweating, unbelieving of everything that was going on, whispering helplessly, "A-Aseel…" His wife looked at him with red puffy eyes, broken, afraid, lost, "I u-understand…" Sayid said, desperately adding, "I w-will do whatever you w-want! J-Just please… _sob_ … l-l-let my wife go…"

Derek sighed, closing his eyes when he commented, "I'm afraid that will not do, Mr Masih…" Even Kushina and Kuroka were surprised at that, the two poor souls crying when the Hamilton continued, "We don't need you to take the blame, we need you to ASSUME the blame, to believe it yourself…" Derek then walked to stand behind the wife, the woman silently praying with her eyes closed, shivering when Derek placed his hands on her shoulders, "I need you to remember your tragic story, how your hate towards Britain and everything she is, came to be."

"NO! P-PLEASE! I-I'LL…" Sayid tried to stand up, but was restrained by one of the guards, unable to move a finger.

"It was a sad story…" Derek began, continuing with a condescending tone, "You fled Syria to escape the war, then you and a hundred more of your country men found themselves in the shores of Britain…" Derek started leaking some of his aura, using it to weaken the man's mind to break it easily, "You settled well here in Britain, you and your wife found a good life and focused on living it, sadly…" He narrowed his eyes, the cries of the woman getting louder when he continued, "You were victims of xenophobia, racism, discrimination, but you still made due, that is, until yesterday…" Derek stepped back a little, his hand picking something from below his jacket, showing it to be a gun, the man thrashing, begging Derek to stop, but the Hamilton continued, "When a group of Neo Nazis cornered your wife and murdered her."

Not even Kuroka could remain unflinching when the sound of the gun going off reverberated throughout the room, the sound of a loud thud along with the cries of desperation from the delivery man being the only thing she could hear after.

Derek stared at the broken man, the guard allowing him to grab his dead wife's head, saying incoherencies. But, knowing that the job was not yet done, Derek walked to stand behind the man, roughly grabbing him by the shoulders, lifting his head up while he whispered right next to his ear, "You were so angry towards this country, that you couldn't resist returning the pain, to show the people of Britain your pain, your suffering."

It was disturbing for Kushina, how she could faintly hear maniacal laughs coming from the delivery man. She could barely stand at the moment and she wasn't even seeing what was happening.

"You wanted Britain to suffer." Derek whispered.

"Y-Yes…" The man whispered hollowly back.

"You wanted to cause the same pain." The Hamilton added.

"Y-Yes…" The man said with a little bit more of strength, a small sadistic smirk forming on his face.

"You bombed the SIS Building." Derek added one last sentence.

"YES!" The man screamed before he burst out in a maniacal fit of laughs, sputtering incoherent words, his sanity long gone.

"Take him…" The Hamilton said to one of the guards who nodded and dragged the lunatic away, the Hamilton turning to look at the other guard, ordering, "Give her a proper burial, it's the least we can do for her." The last guard nodded and dutifully grabbed the body of the woman.

 **END TORTURE**

Derek took a long breath before he walked towards the two women waiting for him, saying as he passed by them, "Let's go."

The two women shakily nodded and removed the clothes from their eyes, silently following behind the Hamilton before Kushina stopped and vomited, Kuroka able to restrain herself from doing the same.

Derek looked at the redhead for a moment, he was genuinely surprised that she endured the atrocity, "Kuroka…" He said to his lover, the Nekoshō looking at him when he added, "Take Kushina to where we're staying at, you both can rest for the rest of the day."

Kuroka nodded silently and gently pulled Kushina to her feet, using her power to teleport her and the redhead to the Hamilton's mansion, where they will be staying at.

Derek for his part just stared at the room, a small moment of shivers running down his spine before he inhaled and recovered his composure, "With this oath…" Derek started whispering to himself, turning towards the other way, walking through the corridor and heading to his grandfather, in order to report the results, "I state my strong and irrevocable intent."

* * *

"So it's really that bad, huh?" Rias muttered while she watched worriedly the news, every channel, ever social network, everything was completely filled with the horrifying news of London's attack. The casualties' toll, now officially counting fourteen hundred and sixty four, one of the worst terrorist attacks in history.

" _Yeah…_ " The equally worried voice of Seekvaria Agares was heard from the other end of the line, the Agares immediately calling Rias in order to see how everything was going. Her fiancé was currently unreachable, he was for sure incredibly busy, " _My father said that for what little he could speak with Jonathan, things are looking pretty grim, this could very well be the beginning of World War Three._ "

Rias bit her lip, worried beyond belief, wondering what her love was doing right now. Her heart twisted then when a small homage was being played, the homage was mostly directed towards Vanessa Jones, a female icon in the UK, considered the strongest female soldier as well as one of the most influential in the whole world.

"And with Vanessa's death…" The Gremory whispered, wishing she could be by Derek's side right now.

Seekvaria shared the sentiment, commenting, " _He's not okay, Rias…_ " Rias listened intently as the blonde continued, with a worried tone, " _He will say he is, but he is not, Vanessa… she was special to him…_ "

Rias nodded with a sigh, understanding exactly what the woman with whom she shares her lover with was saying, commenting, "I k-know… but… what can we do?"

Seekvaria sighed deeply, saying, " _Did you know that Vanessa was not Derek's first apprentice?_ "

Rias' eyes widened, saying while she leaned on her seat, "N-No… who was the first one then?"

" _A woman named Miyo Takano…_ " By the sound of Seekvaria's voice, Rias could tell that the story was a tragic one, " _She was the very first person Derek recruited for his team, he had found her on the streets of Seoul, begging for food, a malnourished ten year old girl, Derek was twelve back then._ "

Rias fixed her posture, inquiring, "What happened?"

Seekvaria sighed deeply, taking some time to respond, " _Miyo had an incredible affinity with magic and her intelligence surpassed Derek's by quite a margin, so she was the very first member of Ghosts besides Derek…_ " Seekvaria was heard sipping some liquid, continuing after, " _As you'd expect, Miyo was absurdly devoted to Derek, she was even offering him her body at the age of thirteen, but obviously, Derek always refused…_ " Seekvaria paused for a moment, " _His refusals and the nature of Ghosts' missions caught up to her badly, she became obsessed with him, so much so that she wanted to get him to notice her at all costs._ "

Rias felt shivers running down her spine, biting a nail while she inquired warily, "What did she do?"

Seekvaria stopped for a moment, speaking after the tense silence, " _She set her sights on giving Derek what he wanted the most…_ " Rias' eyes widened, having an inkling at the subject, " _So she delved into forbidden magic, necromancy…_ " Rias closed her eyes, listening at the blonde, " _She wanted to give Derek his parents back, so she became a necromancer."_

"How far did she go?" Rias asked, a twist in her stomach at the mere mention of necromancy, a magic so vile and repulsive that even demons refrained from it.

" _Very far…_ " Seekvaria asserted grimly, adding, " _Since she obviously wasn't going to defile Derek's parents' souls without perfecting her craft, she started using recently deceased homeless…_ " The blonde inhaled, continuing, " _Her experiments started restrained, but as her lunacy and obsession grew, she was frustrated by her impasse, so she moved onto a darker subject…_ " Rias could feel her fellow heiress' narrowed eyes when she stated, " _Resurrection._ "

"My Satan…" Rias whispered, stunned, horrified by the implications of such breach in the laws of life.

" _She was eventually discovered by Derek, but while he was worried for the woman, he and Jonathan found something in her experiments…_ " Seekvaria's words made Rias' eyes widen, listening as the Agares continued, " _And so, in order to both stir Miyo's work into something useful and to keep the woman in check, they created the so called 'The Human Project'._ "

By the name alone, Rias could discern that it was nothing good, "What was it a-about?" She asked while nervously biting her lip.

Seekvaria's voice turned stern when she said, " _What I'm about to tell you, stays with you Rias, if you mention this to anyone else, Derek would likely kill you and those you said this to…_ " Rias' eyes widened with that, gulping, knowing that the Agares was not exaggerating, " _Heck, I shouldn't even know this myself, but I once overheard Aleister, I'm only telling you this because I know you love Derek as much as I do, so I trust you'll keep this to yourself, even from Derek._ "

"You have my word." Rias said immediately without stutter, she wasn't about to betray the man she loved.

Seekvaria inhaled deeply, gathering her wits before she began, " _I don't know the exact details, but I do know that THP was essentially a project directed to take humanity to the next level in their evolution…_ " Rias was shocked with that, the Agares continuing, " _Miyo's research seemed to be on the right track of an advancement in human physiology, the problem was, that it was basically inhumane…_ " Rias calmed her nerves to listen well, " _While Jonathan made sure to only use fully knowledgeable volunteers, it didn't changed the inhumane experiments that took place, as far as I heard, no one survived and their deaths were excruciating._ "

Rias leaned back, whispering a stunned question, "W-What happened to t-the project?…"

Seekvaria sighed, " _Miyo apparently went completely mad, she never forgot her purpose and always focused on resurrection to bring Derek's parents back… that, coped with the failure of the project, forced Jonathan to shut the project down and erase all evidence of its existence._ "

Rias and Seekvaria remained quiet for a moment, with the former saying after the tense stillness, "What happened to M-Miyo?"

" _I don't know, she just disappeared…_ " Seekvaria said, adding with worry, " _But for what you told me about Luis' resurrection, then I'd wager that she's somewhere out there, continuing her experiments…_ " The blonde paused for a moment, adding later, " _Miyo, is Derek's greatest mistake, so he claims, he's always been regretful for pushing her to madness, he considers himself to be the responsible for her fall, both for inducting her in Ghosts and for not wording the whys of his rejections better._ "

Rias could only stare at the TV in worried silence, listening as the reporter announced that a speech will be held tomorrow, with the possibility of her lover being there to give a message. In the end, she was at least relieved to know that Kuroka was with him right now, she could only hope that the nekoshō, was enough for the moment.

* * *

A red flash showered a room suddenly, the familiar figure of Derek Hamilton appearing after a second, his eyes hollow, his aura cold and tired.

The son of Lucifer sighed while rubbing his tired temples, the exhaustion of such a hectic day catching up to him, "I need a shower." He muttered to himself, ignoring the occupied bed and making way towards the shower in his room.

He could hear the crickets cricking, the wind kicking, the breeze hitting outside in the cold night of London while he undressed himself inside the bathroom, walking into the shower and without wasting time, he opened the cold tap, he needed to freeze the feelings inside his mind.

He placed a hand on the wall, his head down, the water soaking him from above as he looked at his other hand, his eyes narrowed. There was no shaking, no trembling, no shivering, there was only red.

He grabbed a scrubber, soaking it with soap and water before he started carving his hands, beginning slowly before he increased his pace, his teeth gritting, his eyes squinting while he focused on the red.

"Easy now…" A tender voice sounded from behind the Hamilton, the man feeling a voluptuous body pressing on his back, Kuroka whispering lovingly in his ears while she gently grabbed the scrubber, "You're gonna tear your skin, beloved."

Derek sighed as his mate encircled him with her arms, Kuroka pressing her naked self tightly on him, kissing his shoulders lovingly, understanding what was going on, "It won't come off." Derek muttered lowly, no fear, no pain, no remorse, no confusion, just stating the facts.

Kuroka held her emotions back, her heart breaking whenever she saw how heavy his actions weighted on him sometimes, "It will…" She gently cupped his chin, making him turn to face her, the blackette kissing him with all her heart, adding a loving whisper, "One day."

Derek stared at her for some moments before he tsked, his eyes wandering back to the wall before him, lost in the trails of water that fell.

"Why did you asked for me, Derek?" Kuroka whispered a question.

Derek closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation of Kuroka pressing on him when he answered, "I don't know." He did.

And so did she.

Derek needed her, needed his women, they were the only thing keeping him sane, keeping him going and moving on from the atrocities he had to commit. Despite his stubbornness and constant refusals, he asked for her solely so that she could keep him sane.

And as someone that loves him above all, she was going to do just that.

 **LEMON**

"I do." She whispered, moving to stand between him and the wet wall, resting her back on the surface while she sensually lifted one of her luscious legs, resting it on Derek's forearm, the man's eyes immediately travelling towards her most sacred place, the place only he could see and touch.

She pulled his face until she could claim his lips, using her leg to push him towards her, one hand resting on his chest while the other one guided his length into her pleasure cove, a long and lustful moan leaving her lips while Derek ate her mouth with ferocity and neediness.

"I will… _nyyyaaa…_ a-always…" Kuroka tried to speak, stopping to moan whenever Derek gave a particular harsh thrust, her body and mind thinking on nothing more than the love and lust she had for this man, "B-Be here to c-clean you… no m-matter how dirty you get…" She moaned loudly when he lifted her by the butt, the movement driving him even deeper into her, both hands grabbing his face, forcing him to focus on her as she made her declaration, "I w-will always b-be right next t-to you, beloved."

Derek said nothing, and she wasn't expecting him to say anything. She was however, expecting the incredible fierceness that followed after her declaration, the mighty nekoshō being left with enough strength to just mewl and scratch his back, his penis piercing her over and over again.

"Dammit… how can you b-be this tight?…" Derek asked with a small snort, growling while he pounded her with such strength, that the wall before them trembled slightly.

" _Meeewwww…_ " Kuroka definitely made the sound of a cat mating, which ironically, was almost exactly what she was, "I-It's because… _mouuu_ … I d-don't want to l-let you go…"

Derek's response was a fierce growl, taking his mouth to one of her nipples, roughly biting it while his other hand groped her butt lustfully, throwing her on the floor, continuing the assault on a missionary position.

"B-Beloved…" Kuroka mewled happily, with a loving and lustful smile on her face while she locked her legs on his back, stopping him from even considering disconnecting with her, adding, "M-My k-kittens… f-fill me w-with them…"

Derek just growled and brought his body down on his lover, his face next to Kuroka's while he augmented his thrusts to inhuman speeds, Kuroka's moans filling the whole room before he drilled with a one last powerful thrust.

"I l-looooooove you…" Kuroka whispered while her back arched and her head was thrown back, the sensation of being filled with a warm liquid overriding everything else, dreams of small children running around while she and her extended family lived happily ever after being the only thing she could think of while her high receded.

 **END LEMON**

Derek fell on top of Kuroka, both lovers breathing harshly, struggling to regain their breaths while they enjoyed the afterglow of their love making. Kuroka hugged him tightly, wanting to remain connected forever, ignoring the cold water that still soaked them in order to just close her eyes and caress her love tenderly, a small smile on her face while some tears appeared on her eyes.

She swears she felt a drop of hot salty water falling on her shoulder.

* * *

Derek sighed deeply as his eyes surveyed the hundreds of people that were allowed to be present at the memorial, most of them being relatives of the victims, mourning, their heads low as tears fell on the ground, whimpers being the only thing that was heard.

That is until he cleared his throat.

His voice, boosted by the microphone, drew everyone's attention to the small stage right in front of Cenotaph Memorial, the eyes of the attendants looking at their hero with hopeful looks, reassured of his presence.

It made him feel disgusted with himself.

But, his blue eyes landed on three people, right at the front of the crowd, a young woman and a young man, his hands resting on the pulls of a wheelchair, where an elderly woman sat, a heartbroken look on her eyes.

Derek wasn't still so sure about appearing on the national statement later in the day, where the PM and a couple of high-ranking personas will be giving a few speeches, most of them for the call to unity.

But, his grandfather had requested him to speak, a very, very different speech at that.

But for now, he focused on the memorial, wanting to say a couple of things about his prized student, "Whenever I walked into the MI6 building…" He began, everyone present listening intently as he continued, "I saw pride…" He narrowed his eyes, adding, "Not British pride, not professional pride, not military pride… no… I saw genuine pride…" He leaned back, both hands on the stand as he went on, "The pride of protecting those they loved, the pride of knowing that they were doing everything they could, to ensure a safe country for their precious people…" He paused, "The kind of pride you just can't buy."

The people stopped whimpering, the heir's words seemingly giving them strength to continue listening his short speech.

"I receive a lot of praise…" Derek said, his eyes wandering to them all, "I am seen as the epitome of British pride, as the representative of our country on the international stage…" He narrowed his eyes, a flash of brunette blinding him for a moment before he continued, "But in my eyes, the true representatives of British pride, of true value and honour, are the ones that work inside our country…" He griped the stage, his eyes narrowing when he kept going, "This is not about Europe, this is not about the West, this is about BRITAIN! And ITS people…" He turned behind him, to where the row of pictures of those that perished were, focusing on the picture of Vanessa as he added, "They, the ones we don't pay attention to, the ones led by Vanessa Jones, they were the ones that protected you, every day, every night, without respite, they ensured your safety…" He turned towards the crowd then, finishing with a powerful and commanding tone, "It's not enough, it will never be enough to replace your children, your lovers, your siblings, your friends, but that pride, that pride that characterized them, don't let it go to waste, feel it, embrace it and be proud of them, because their work, contributions and names, will never, ever be forgotten."

It was sickening for him, how easy he could lift the spirits of the people, the resounding claps and smiles of reassurance filling the whole space as he walked out of the stage. He couldn't continue looking at them, not while they worshipped him as their hero.

"M-Mr Hamilton." An old and tired voice made him turn to the side, wincing when he saw the Jones family, consisting of Vanessa's younger brother and sister, and her mother, restrained to a wheelchair due to her surgery.

Derek grabbed the hand of the elderly woman, tenderly keeping it between his two palms as he said, with genuine feeling, "Mrs Jones, I cannot express how much I am sorry for Vanessa's death, if only…"

The woman shook her head with a teary smile, patting Derek's hands while she said, "T-There is no need for you to say s-such things, Mr Hamilton…" She eyed her two remaining children, both of them having the same teary smiles as she continued, "We know t-that you cared for Vane, as much as she l-loved you…" Derek could only nod slightly, listening as the woman continued, "W-We wanted to thank you… e-ever since you took her i-in… taught her… s-she became a new woman… one that we are immensely proud of."

Derek shook his head, stating, "She had it in her the whole time, Mrs Jones, Vanessa just needed a little push…" He looked at her photograph for a moment before he commented, "Everything she achieved, was due to her own abilities, I merely showed her the way."

The Jones family just smiled at him, increasing the twist in his stomach when the sister said, "E-Even so, thank you."

The brother bowed to him, adding with equal gratefulness, "You changed our beloved Vanessa for the better and for that, y-you have our eternal gratitude, Mr Hamilton."

The mother squeezed his hand then, her eyes getting watery when she commented, "I f-feel terrible b-by imposing on you again, Mr Hamilton, you've already paid f-for my surgeries and medical care…" The Hamilton was about to reassure her, but she continued quickly, "But there is o-one more thing that I'd like t-to ask of you… w-we'd like to ask of you."

Derek sighed deeply, nodding as he said, "Anything, Mrs Jones."

The Jones family looked at him, all of them sharing the same sentiment when the mother asked, "D-Don't let this go u-unpunished… make them… m-make them pay."

Derek could only stare at them for a couple of tense seconds before he nodded, the family repaying him with a small smile before they made their way to Vanessa's altar, wanting to mourn their relative for some moments.

Derek heard the honk of the vehicle that was meant to transport him to his grandfather's office, so he fixed his suit and walked towards the car, Kuroka and Kushina already waiting for him inside. He managed to suppress the twist in his stomach, provoked by the adoring and hopeful looks they were sending him, the looks of the British people that trusted him with their lives, irrefutably.

He managed to suppress the disgust of knowing that he wasn't done manipulating them.

* * *

"B-Brother…" Rias muttered, surprised when the Devil King walked into Derek's living room, "L-Lady Dracul and Governor Azazel as well." She added, confused, tilting her head as a sign of said confusion.

Sirzechs smiled as Marion and Burent led him and the other leaders to the living room, the King saying as he sat next to Rias, "Sorry to show up so suddenly…" He looked at the other two leaders before his eyes wandered to the other people present in the room, not surprise to see that everyone with a connection with Derek was right here, patiently waiting for the speech to come, "We were discussing a little bit before we heard about Derek's speech."

Natalia thanked Burent for the tea, adding after a soft sip, "Since this may change the way the world goes, we are all concerned about it."

Rias nodded, sighing, saying after a moment, "I u-understand…" She focused back on the TV, the news broadcasting a stage with a couple of high ranking people in the UK, giving their thoughts on the situation. There were a lot of people, like thousands and she was sure the whole world was observing right now, because Derek was supposed to speak after the woman currently talking, "F-For what I heard, this could be the beginning of a w-war."

Everyone sighed at that, with Azazel stating, "Indeed, and regardless of whether we're human or not…" He nodded at Marion who gave him a glass of sake, adding grimly, "This war could be bad for all of us."

Rias understood well what was everyone's fear, the one thing that Humanity had over the rest of the species in the world, a weapon that not even Gods could stop.

Nukes.

"H-He's about to begin." Aleister muttered from where he was sitting, the whole room silencing and gluing their eyes to the screen, observing nervously as Derek stood to speak.

* * *

Kushina stood nervously next to the Hamilton patriarch, Kuroka beside her, the three of them observing Derek as he walked to stand before the immense crowd, his eyes cold and focused.

"Kushina…" The voice of the elder Hamilton drew her attention, the woman looking at him timidly as the old man added, "Do you still want to be Derek's apprentice?"

It was a question she's been having after the horrific thing he did a few days back, heck, she even called her sister to ask for guidance. She was immensely shocked when Yasaka herself admitted that she had done her fair share of atrocities, it was impossible for a leader to be a 'good guy', there were things and situations that required immoral decisions since just as her sister put it, a leader's job was not to keep you happy, their job was to keep you safe.

"I-I do." There was a small stutter, but her resolve was absolute, she knew that Derek will not force her to do any of the darkest things and she still respected him greatly, she wanted to learn from him, to be strong like him, to know him better.

Much better.

Jonathan smirked, commenting while his blues rested on his grandson, "Then pay attention to Derek right now, so that you can understand the seven steps of manipulation."

Kushina looked at the old man, puzzled before she focused on the man she desired as a mentor, gulping.

Despite how evil it sounded, it did intrigued her.

* * *

 **SPEECH WARNING**

Derek sighed as his eyes surveyed the crowd of thousands before him, some of them looking at him hopefully, some of them looking at him fearfully, some of them avoiding him entirely.

He allowed some moments of silence to come, letting the tension in the air to settle with his own demonic presence, allowing for an even easier manipulation.

 _"We don't need unity, Derek…"_ He remembered his grandfather saying to him backstage, _"We need division."_

 _The Little Guy_

He closed his eyes for a moment, inhaling before he leaned on towards the mic, saying with a soft tone, "A year ago…" The whole crowd, all of Britain, all of the world, listened intently as he continued, "A butcher named John approached me, he said…" He leaned back, adding as he roamed his eyes throughout the whole crowd, "I am an Englishman… I'm from Newham, east London… my father, was called John, he was also from Newham…" He paused, "My grandfather, a Newham man as well, was also called John…" He leaned on, his voice husking when he added, "And his father, my great-grandfather, was called John too, from Newham as well."

There was no sound, the people lost in Derek's words, a strange attraction towards him inundating their hearts.

"My family, thirteen straight generations of Englishmen, were on the meat trade…" Derek continued mesmerising, "Two hundred eleven years, had my family been trading meat in our small shop, down in Newham…" He leaned his waist back, speaking again, "I and my family, my wife, children and three sisters, two of them named Victoria, a child of mine named Victoria as well, we are the first generation of my family to live outside of Newham, because I was forced to close our shop…" A tense pause ensued, "I was forced to close our two hundred eleven years old shop! Because the Muslims around me couldn't live with the stench of meat!"

It was impossible to mistake where his speech was going now, as the crowd started to react in different ways.

"I stand here, before you, he said…" Derek narrowed his eyes, "In representation of four Johns and three Victorias, in order to ask you a question, asked by my six year old son George…" He inhaled, continuing after, "Why were we the ones that had to move? Why were we the ones that had to give? Why were we, BRITISH children! The ones that had to accommodate to THEIR customs!?… why?…"

 _The Question_

"Because after all…" Derek leaned forward, his eyes resolute, focus, wilful, "What do they know of Britain!… that only BRITAIN know!?…" His question was met by a terse roar, "Or, what could my family… who come from Britain… who live in Britain… who know, only Britain!… save this…" He let a moment to pass so the crowd could digest his words, "Our country…"

 _The Mistakes Of The Past_

Derek inhaled, the people in the crowd anxious, some awaiting his words with resolute excitement, some with absolute fear, "A couple of years ago, Sweden basically dissolved their borders, allowing an uncontrolled influx of people to just waltz in their country…" More and more, people started to figure out the meaning of his speech, "Sweden, once a country with an incredibly high living standards… now at the brink of total collapse…" He narrowed his eyes, adding gravely, "A country that was once referred to as a 'heaven', it's now constantly assaulted by gang wars, drugs, violent crimes and rapes, most of them committed by those who mingled with the incoming crowd… the ones that the government itself sustain… the ones that the Swedish themselves sustain…" He paused, his cold blues leaving a mark in the crowd when he spoke again, "In fifteen years, the Swedes will be a minority in their own country."

There was absolute silence, a large amount of people showing signs of wanting to lash out against the Hamilton's words, but they were drowned by the murmurs of those that agreed.

The majority.

 _The Heritage_

"We, the British, at the heart of a vanished Empire…" Derek took a hand to his jacket's pocket, "Who have inhabited this island fortress for an unbroken thousand years…" He took out a cigarette, lighting it up, smoking a little before he blew the tobacco out, continuing, "Brought up within the sounds of British birdsongs, under the British oak, in the British meadow…" He inhaled the smoke again, "Beneath the red cross of Saint George, the white cross of Saint Andrews, the red cross of Saint Patrick, beneath the vigilant gaze of Y Ddraig Goch!… it is us!… who know most of Britain…"

There were a lot of people nodding at those words, invigorated, a sense of pride filling their hearts, as if the Hamilton was speaking for them, their families, their friends and loved ones.

"We understand better…" Derek continued, his own passion and love for his country spilling into his words as he added, "Our own capital… the seat of our Empire… London… as we used to call her…" He inhaled more of his smoke then, "As we strolled through our parks, as we marvelled at our palaces, as we did business in our city… went west for a dance, took a boat on the river… the pale ale and eel pie… of old London…" He lowered his head, speaking huskily, "The London of my family, for many generations… the London that within fifteen years, may suffer the same Swedish fate…"

There were many roars that accompanied that statement, along with small whimpers coming from a selected scared few.

 _The Issue_

"Am I racist?…" Derek said softly, his eyes wandering throughout the whole crowd, the whole world, "No… do I've anything against people of other races?… no…" He smoked a large one, continuing after exhaling, "Will I prevent them, from coming into my home?… no… then what… what, Mr Hamilton… what is your gripe!?"

He stopped to grip the stand tightly, the wood crushing under his strength as he continued, "My gripe… and I speak on behalf of four men named John and three women named Victoria!… my gripe is quite simple…" He paused, "My gripe… is that we were never… asked…"

 _The Blame_

"We were told! Not asked!…" A huge roar followed that statement, the Hamilton continuing with equal fury, "And every day, we are told, again and again, how we are to be!… and how our country IS to be!…" He pointed at the politicians behind him, adding with a grimace, "We're told by them…" The politicians winced as the Hamilton continued, "We know who they are, they're British too! They're the class that has always set themselves apart!… they're the class that has always taken whatever they wanted for themselves… and now they're the class…" He repeatedly pointed at them, stating with every move, "That is giving. Britain. Away."

"YES!" An even louder roar followed.

"WHY!?…" The Hamilton continued, "Because they've suffered… because those poor souls were suffering too much and thus, we have to be good hosts…" His breath ragged a little before he kept going, "Whenever I hear that, I can't help but ask to myself… haven't WE suffered too?…" The crowd was started to get restless, "Haven't John and his family suffered too!? Just because we're white! Does it mean that we're immune to disease!?…" A strong 'no' resounded, "Are we immune to hunger!? To natural disasters!? To rape!? To war!? TO DEATH!?"

"NO!" The roar was so loud, that the earth shook.

 _The Call_

Derek took some moments to regain his breath, his eyes focused on the people, already able to see the seeds of war planted in the majority, in the British patriot, "Life's a struggle… for each and every one of us…" He inhaled the last of his smoke before he threw it aside, adding while he massaged his temples, "No one is immune to pain… no one is immune to suffering…" He held his head down for a moment, inhaling deeply before he brought his raging blues back up again, "The only thing we can do, is thrive… go onwards… unwavered… unafraid… strong…" He licked his lips, adding later, "But our priority should always be Britain and her CHILDREN… they come first… then everyone else…" He pointed at the politicians behind him again, inquiring powerfully, "Do we allow them to sell our heritage?… or is it time for us to speak?… to speak… to refuse them the right, to give away our holy, our bountiful, our ONLY Britain!… that has nurtured us!… that ha-that make us grown just as the oak!…" He straightened himself, ready to water the seeds of war as he finished, "Is it time for us to come together yet again and defend our country?… with our fire, our fists!?… is it time for us sons… to rise again?"

The whole of London was filled by a powerful roar, Derek walking slowly behind, his eyes lingering on the raging crowd before he turned back towards the backstage, slowly walking away from the podium.

His job was done.

 **END SPEECH**

* * *

"And that…" Jonathan muttered with an impassive face, Kushina and Kuroka turning to look at the elder, straining their ears in order to hear well the old man's voice, almost drowned by the racket the crowd was doing outside, "Is how you manipulate a country."

Kushina and Kuroka remained silent, pondering on the Patriarch's words, their eyes wandering towards the crowd that was starting to chorus patriotic chants, none of them nice in the slightest.

"That should be enough, no?" The voice of the Hamilton heir made them focus back on the now to see the handsome silverette now standing beside his grandfather, observing the crowd as well, contemplating the power of his words.

Jonathan smirked bitterly, stating quietly, "Sadly, yes."

"M-Mr Hamilton…" The timid voice of one of the politicians that were alongside Derek on the stage, drew the two Hamilton attention, listening as the man, accompanied by the rest, asked, "Sir… i-isn't it… dangerous…" The Prime Minister pointed at the crowd, adding warily, "This."

Derek and Jonathan looked at where he was pointing at, a couple of people screaming and berating at those that immigrated, the disturbers soon being joined by the rest, it was clear that the situation was turning hostile.

Just as Jonathan wanted.

"It's mere practice, Prime Minister." Jonathan stated resolute, his eyes cold and unwavered, unaffected by the hostility that was starting to spread throughout the plaza. Heck, he hoped that it was starting to spread throughout Britain.

The politicians seemed puzzled by those words, one of them inquiring before the Hamilton entourage left, "P-Practice? For what, m-milord?"

Jonathan looked at the group for a moment, replying gravely, "For war…" The politicians opened their eyes at those words, finally starting to see the reason of Derek's speech, "I suggest you prepare as well, ministers…" Jonathan turned around, walking away, flanked by Derek, Kushina and Kuroka as he left some disturbing parting words, "You don't want to be the first victims of the slaughter, do you?"

And with that thunderous message, with the roar of the patriots on the streets, with the sound of the industries incrementing their weaponry craft, the start of World War Three, was announced.

* * *

Derek closed his eyes, sighing while his fingers gently brushed Alice's shoulders, the girl's soft breathing hitting his chest while she slept peacefully, a small smile on her face, loving being in her brother's arms.

It was two in the morning and Derek couldn't really sleep at all, his mind being kept hostage by all the things that occurred during past few days. But, there were two things that truly kept him awake.

First of all, his sister's declaration. He had come back to the Hamilton mansion after his speech, Kuroka and Kushina already back to their respective places, Kuroka still being in the middle of a mission while Kushina had to return to Luxembourg in order to receive her sister, so that left him alone.

But, as soon as he arrived, his sister had jumped into his arms and didn't let him go anywhere, the girl being scared of the future, she understood well what Derek's speech meant. The Hamilton male had tried to comfort her, saying that it'll be alright, but that's when she stunned him when she said that she was not going to be a Princess in need of protection, saying that she had already spoke with Le Fay and was going to train with their cousin.

Derek could only sigh as he recollected how their grandmother tried to persuade Alice, but it was futile, the youngest child of James and Elena Hamilton was as stubborn as one could get, and her mind was already made up.

Derek for his part, had no real trouble with it, Alice had a very high affinity for magic, like really a lot of his family. It manifested differently in every case though. In Le Fay, she was truly a prodigy, her smarts was only matched by her unnatural ability in summons magic, Jonathan has even stated that Le Fay had to potential to reach the level of their old descendant, Morgan Le Fay. The other member of the royal blood with affinity for magic, was Iker, Seekvaria's {Bishop}, simply put, his magic manifested as a true hurricane, his power is so destructive, that it killed him, only because he was reincarnated as a devil, is he able to control his power to a greater extent now. As for Alice, she was Iker's total opposite, since her magical abilities manifested in an incredibly ability to heal, Derek has even noted that her healing abilities could even reach the highest potential of Twilight Healing, if the brunette girl truly puts her heart into it.

As for the second thing keeping him awake?

Vanessa.

"I'm… sorry…" He whispered, feeling the incredible pressure the past events have put on his shoulders.

But, he felt a pulse from above him, his eyes opening after, sighing before he gently disentangled himself from his sister, placing the girl in a comfortable position, using his power to keep her asleep before he grabbed his jacket and focused on the roof of his mansion, disappearing in a red flash a moment later.

* * *

"Sorry for being late…" Vali said with a small smirk once a red flash appeared beside him, his blues focusing on the city of London at the distance, the sounds of the police and people still raging, ringing throughout the whole city, "So this is how it begins, huh?" He asked with a small glint of eagerness, the prospect of a war, of any kind, firing up his own innate lust for battle.

Derek snorted, crossing his arms while he too observed his home city with fierce eyes, commenting, "Indeed it is…" He looked above then, adding, "The Human world is about to have its penultimate war."

Vali smirked, shaking his head before he said, "Looking forward to it…" Derek snorted again, his eyes locking on Vali's when the slim silverette inquired, "But I doubt that's what you called me here for, is it?"

Derek shook his head, responding, "No, I called you here because we have a problem…" He looked at the other male, adding gravely, "A big one."

Vali raised an eyebrow, intrigued, noticing the genuine annoyance his eternal rival was showing, "Really now? What is this problem you speak of?"

Derek sighed, commencing, "You know of Natalia Dracul? The Queen of Vampires?…" Vali nodded at that, prompting the Red Dragon Emperor to continue, "Well, she's going to be present in the meeting between the leaders, but she arrived two days ago, directly to me."

Vali crossed his arms, an amused raised eyebrow on his face when he muttered, not understanding the problem so far, "You got her pregnant or something? I don't see the problem here."

Derek actually slapped the slightly younger man hard after that, saying, "That's not it, dimwit…" Vali just clicked his tongue, his face turning serious when the Morningstar spilled the beans, "She came to me because apparently, she was best friends with a certain mother of ours."

Vali's eyes widened a little at that, sighing before he said, annoyed, "So she knows who we are then?" This certainly put a strain on him as well.

Derek shook his head, explaining, "As far as I know, she knows who I am…" He looked at his fellow silverette, adding, "I don't think she's ever seen you, but with those damn eyes of hers, the moment she lays them on you, she'll figure out that you're my brother, and thus, a Morningstar too…" He looked back at the front, adding as an afterthought, "Apparently, we look a lot like our biological parents."

Vali nodded with a thoughtful hum, commenting, "Well, this definitely speeds up our plans."

Derek nodded too, commenting, "Azazel knows as well…" At Vali's surprised visage, the adopted Hamilton explained, "He requested for a meeting with me, I went and surprise, surprise, he asked me if I was a Morningstar, just like that…" He sighed, adding tiredly, "If he figured out that I am Lucifer's son, then…"

"He surely knows that I am too…" Vali finished his twin's thought, scratching his scruff with a long sigh, adding with a bitter tone, "That Azazel, he's too smart for his own good…" The last son of the original Satan inhaled before he looked at his brother and said, "I don't think it changes much anyway, Blue Ben is gone, neither you nor I have it, meaning that Rizevim is the one that took it."

Derek nodded, adding to the theory, "If he took it, then it probably means that he's about to make his move soon…" He looked at his brother and eternal rival, finishing, "The summit must be the most logical target."

Vali nodded, looking at London's night sky as he inquired, "What should we do then? If those two know…" He eyed his brother from the corner of his eye, muttering, "Surely someone else in the top must've figured it out by now."

Derek sighed, cracking his neck, tired, responding with annoyance, "Yeah, but they probably figured it out on me, you've been in the shadows so far…" He looked at the White Dragon Emperor, saying, "So maybe we can keep your blood hidden…" He crossed his arms, clicking his tongue before he finished, annoyed, "Though, it is unlikely."

"If anything else fails…" Vali muttered, walking away, his wings of light unfurling as he added with an excited tone, "We just take them all head on, we're Morningstar after all."

Derek shared the vicious smirk with his twin, the dragon blood in their veins, boiling at the mere thought of a fight. Despite the pain and horror it brings, war was the time where dragons thrive, no matter how much they try against it, the lust for battle was simply natural for them.

"True…" Derek muttered, keeping both hands in his pockets, saying while his eyes wandered to the city, "For now, just try to avoid being seen by many, it would still be preferable if the world believes that Lucifer only had one son."

"Alright…" Vali muttered, floating and saying, "Let me know when anything else comes up, got a lead on the Kraken and I don't want to lose it, so see you later, brother."

Derek nodded and observed as Vali took off into the dark sky, the grey tone of the clouds accompanied by the roars of thunder and the sounds of rage coming from the city of London, announcing the dark time to come, a time that will either change the world for the better…

"Or will end it for good." Derek muttered before he walked back into the mansion, nothing left to be seen or say then. There was no time to mourn, to pray, or to avenge, there was only time to prepare.

* * *

" _=… is it time for us sons… to rise again?="_ A repetition of Derek Hamilton's speech was heard coming from a giant Plasma TV, the roars of the crowd inundating the environment as the handsome British royal fixed his jacket and walked off the stage, powerful, imposing, mesmerising…

"Absolutely gorgeous." Mei Terumi muttered to herself while she licked her lips, a delicious tingling in her most precious place forcing her to rub her thighs together, a vain attempt to qualm her lust.

She then started listening to the news anchors, who said " _=Due to Mr Hamilton's speech, the tension within the country has grown into a dangerous zone…=_ " The news showed a scene where a group of large people were starting to throw objects at the ones that seemed to be immigrants, a lot of 'Get out of the UK' chants sounding all around, " _=In my personal opinion, I do not share Mr Hami…="_

Mei turned off the TV, producing a petulant snort before she muttered to herself, "I don't care about propagandas…" She smiled as she saw the city from her office, adding, "All I care about, is that I am one step closer to achieve my master's goal… and with that…" She turned to look to her desk, where a picture of the handsome silverette known as Derek Hamilton laid, the beauty grabbing it and tracing a delicate finger over it as she whispered, "I'll be closer to achieve mine…"

The leader of Novum was interrupted when the door to her office was opened, her scrawny assistant walking in with that eternal passive look on his face as he announced, "Madam, she has awaken."

Mei smirked, saying, "My, such good news…" She stood up, donning her jacket before she walked towards the door, her assistant immediately falling into step when she ordered, "Let's go."

The pair walked through the halls of the large mansion, turning a couple of corners before the assistant uttered, "Madam, if I may…" Mei nodded at him, prompting the man to ask, "How is it that you managed to turn her to our cause? For what I heard from her, she was quite the devotee."

The gorgeous auburn-haired woman smiled, her arms crossed as she walked, answering the man, "Mm, everyone has a price, Johansson…" She looked at him over her shoulder, adding, "Even Vanessa Jones."

The man just tilted his head, saying as he continued walking, "Must have been quite expensive then…" He focused back on the hall, seeing the door to Vanessa's room, "To get her to betray her master like that."

"Indeed…" Mei muttered with a smirk, opening the door and without asking, walking into the room. She felt a little pang of jealousy when she saw the woman that was supposed to be Vanessa, supposed to because officially, Vanessa Jones was dead, but the truth was that the woman was an experiment that took quite a while to achieve. While the ex-leader of the MI6 was always a beautiful and sexy woman, the experiment, which was apparently successful, had turned her into a true goddess. Her once brunette hair, was now a light shade of mesmerising silver, her eyes a mix of red and violet, a strange glow coming off from them as she eyed herself inquisitively. Her body seemed to have developed as well, if her impressive curves where anything to go by. One may think that Mei was jealous because of Vanessa's new beauty, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

"Well, well…" Mei made her presence known as she said with an amused smirk, crossing her arms under her bust when she continued, "What a change."

Vanessa looked at the woman for a couple of seconds, her eyes wandering back to her hands, inspecting them intently, almost as if she was trying to figure out if her soul was still intact, "I… guess…"

Mei walked towards her, standing before the woman, eyeing her up intently, sizing her up, feeling her power, "Did it worked?" The Terumi inquired, eager to hear the results.

Vanessa tilted her head before she aimed a hand to her side, aiming it at a desk on the far side of the room and after struggling for a moment, a powerful pulse of energy was shot from her palm, destroying not only the desk, but also leaving a quite awful dent on the wall.

She retracted her hand, looking at it surprised, Mei whistling appreciatively before she commented, "I guess it did…" Mei turned towards the destroyed desk, adding with an amused smirk, "I can only imagine what you could do once you start training those new powers of yours."

"O-Oh…" Vanessa seemed to be lost in her thoughts, since she still remained looking at her hand, her eyes a little hollow, unfocused, sorrowed.

Mei sighed when she saw the woman, knowing that she was struggling with coming to terms with her new life. But, it was something that only time will be capable to fix, so she walked towards the window of Vanessa's room, looking at the forest behind her mansion before she muttered honestly, "I'm actually jealous of you…" She knew she had gained the woman's attention, so she looked at her back and inquired with a smirk, "Have you thought of a name?"

Vanessa stared at Mei for some seconds, looking down at the ground for a moment, remembering that she had to use another name from now on. Vanessa Jones was dead and there was nothing she could do to change that. She had a new goal, a new mission, a new life.

She could only embrace that fact.

"Yes…" Vanessa muttered, slowly looking back at Mei, uttering, "I do…" She then looked at the mirror on the corner of the room, looking at herself, what she had become, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply before she opened them again, no longer sorrowed, no longer pained, no longer lost, they were focused and ready, "You can call me Selvaria Bles from now on."

Mei could only smirk.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, I hope you've understand the reasons for why I wrote this chapter, if you still think anything else after my explanation at the beginning of the chapter, there is really nothing I can do then. Freedom speech protects all sort of opinions, whether you agree with them or not, I personally feel very angered with Count Dankula's case, it infuriates how much the newer generation seems to want to get rid of free speech. But well, this is no place for political debate, I hope you found the chapter entertaining and if I don't go to jail for this shit, then I'll see ya later, cheers!**


	12. Sympathy For The Devil (Part 1)

**A/N: Damn, who would've thought writing a political fic was so damn difficult? But anyway, we're back yo!**

 **There's a lot of backstory in here about the secret organisations introduced in the last chapter. Since they're an original concept, I need to keep you up with them, to make you understand what they stood for and that, thus, I'm gonna be using Kushina as a conduct for that. Simply put, you're going to learn about that world along with her.**

 **There were some PM's requesting for more lemons, but just like with my other story, I want you all to know that I'm focusing on the plot rather then the sex. Again, I'll try to make one for each one at the very least, but that's all I can promise, it's either sex or plot, and I really prefer the plot. Sorry if that disappoints you.**

 **I think that's it for now, so let's get to it!**

* * *

 **Sympathy For The Devil (Part 1)**

" _=In other news, after General Derek Hamilton gave his speech to the British people, there has been an uprising throughout the country=_ " A news host announced before she paused, continuing after images of people protesting on the streets appeared, " _=Tension has been spreading as the people of Britain demand a reform on immigration, as well as the extinction of the special treatment received to people from other countries by the government. The citizens argue that if any outsider wants to live in Britain, then they should adhere to her traditions and culture. This sudden surge of nationalism has spread to other European countries as well, where people have started to protest on the streets, requesting the same thing=_ "

Derek sighed as he laid back on his seat, listening to the news with a tired heart. It never stopped surprising him how easy it was to rile people up, to make them rage, but in this situation, the Hamilton heir knew well that the people always had it in them, they were just silent and keeping it to themselves because the government and the media had created an atmosphere where if you feel proud to be a patriot, you would be labelled as countless of vile things.

The truth was that the people only needed someone with a platform large enough to reach millions, then they would feel encouraged and backed by someone important, so all fears and inhibitions simply disappear. Similar to what occurred with the last US election.

"Just blow a little bit on the flame…" He muttered, his blues looking at the window beside him, observing the sky as his private jet arrived to Luxembourg, "And it will soon turn into firestorm." He added thoughtfully, even at such heights, he could feel the tension surrounding Europe, tension that will soon spill into the other continents.

" _=All of that, fuels the fear and uncertainty that has plagued the population after the Prime Minister announced that all men around the ages from eighteen to thirty six, are to present themselves to the nearest garrison. And women around the same age, are to be ready to step into the jobs of those that may be drafted. Similar orders have been given all around the globe, countries like the USA, Germany, France, Russia, China, have all placed a military order on their populations, which many point that it was exactly like this, that World War Two began=_ " Derek could see that the female host was shivering, it wasn't difficult to figure out that the world was preparing for conflict, and just as his grandfather had said, the generation of today knew nothing of true despair, the kind that only war could bring, it was understandable that people were afraid of what deep inside them, already know it to be inevitable, " _=Could we be at the beginning of a new war? Are our governments hiding something from us? Are they preparing us for war? We'll discuss that later with Secreta…_ "

Derek turned off the telly, already tired of the news and knowing that biased propaganda was about to start. Both sides of the political spectrum were already working on the propaganda machine none stop, trying to turn the people to their cause and gain power. It wasn't surprising for the spawn of Satan that the Right Wing was the one gaining the upper hand, the refugee crisis along with the sudden prosecution of free speech, was turning the people against the Left since it was painfully obvious that the ideal world the moralists wanted to build, was just not sustainable. Globalisation could only occur if traditions, religions and languages would be completely abolished, but at the same time, the people supporting this world, call for respect and tolerance of all traditions and customs, contradicting themselves in every way.

This contradictions have tired the people and thus, Right-winging parties have risen on the polls, increasing the tension within the West side of the world. The East was a completely different subject however, since most of their governments still heavily revolved around ancient traditions and religions, thus, no significant change could be pointed on that side.

All of this has given a huge sense of division within humanity, most of the people calling this time a breaking point within the human species, but Derek knew that the true cause of such supposed division, was in fact the internet. People aren't more divided now than ever, people have always been divided, the only difference with the past was that now they can all post their opinion on the internet and millions of people will have access to that thought. In a way, the world was too connected for its own good.

The Left argued that a globalised world would mean that everyone will have access to the same resources, thus there will be no longer a need for wars to attain said resources from someone else. Delusional fools.

The Right argued that a nation proud of itself, following its traditions, keeping the community tight and taking care of its own resources was the true path to peace. Delusional fools.

Both sides were just too deluded in their own self-gratification to notice that they were nothing but puppets to the Venice Council, the group that actually controlled the world.

The truth of the matter was that humans are animals, everything else is just a construct of their own doing, but in essence, on the very basis of their DNA, they all need to eat, to drink, to sleep and to shit, "Just like any other animal." Derek commented as the plane finally landed on the airport.

Derek knew that at the end of the day, regardless of their political views, everyone had their hearts set on the right thing, both sides have very good points, as much as they had woeful points, it was only a matter of understanding the harsh, but absolute truth. There was no true peace.

The closest thing to it can only be achieved with one of two paths. One, you enforce it, you place a global government and drop an iron curtain on freedom and set a tyrannical rule were only one mind-set was allowed and nothing else. But people will eventually get tired and they will rise against the establishment. The Soviets already tried it and it led to utter fail.

The other one, the most feasible path and the one that has actually already proven to be effective, was to threat humanity's own existence. Push them all to the corner and force them to a place where only cooperation can keep them alive. Make humanity choose between their pride and their own survival. It was obvious that like the animals they were, they will choose the latter.

Derek snorted as he nodded at Aleister who was waiting for him with the vehicle, boarding it as he muttered to himself, "Hard to believe that despite all the damage he caused, Hitler actually achieved what no other creature, divine or mortal, ever could, the bastard united the world against him." It was sick in a kind of way, but impossible to deny.

Just as he was about to answer something that Aleister asked him, the silverette's phone rang. Derek took the mobile out of his pocket, seeing his grandfather's id on the screen, "Yeah, Pops?" He answered, nodding at Aleister to start the car.

On the other end of the line, Jonathan Hamilton was heard saying, " _Son, I need you to deal with the summit as soon as possible, we have found the most plausible location of the Relic._ "

Derek raised an eyebrow at that, nodding while he replied, "Alright then, I'll go back to London as soon as I deal with this."

The Hamilton patriarch just said a quick acknowledgment and bided goodbye, leaving the son of Lucifer free to hear Aleister muttering beside him, "Boss?"

Derek sighed as he turned to look at the blackette youngster, noticing the tension filling the youngest Ghost. The Hamilton just ruffled the boy's hair, his face still impassive but softening a little as he tried to reassure the boy he saw as a younger brother, "Don't worry Al, we'll talk about it later…" Aleister just nodded with a ghost of smile, feeling a little reassured but listening as his leader added, "For now, let's just focus on being good hosts."

Derek wasn't looking forward to that in the slightest.

* * *

"Alright then, Kushina…" A blackette woman muttered with her ever present smirk, sitting cross-legged right in front of the redhead in question. Akio has been the one in charge of Kushina's training, sort of like a punishment from Derek after everything she's done. Though she hardly saw it as such, she loved the Uzumaki woman, she was fun, fierce and very noble, something Akio herself once was. It did worried her that just like her, Kushina might fall to the dark side after seeing, doing or just hearing the things that occur behind the curtains, but Kushina has expressed that she will not let her heart succumb to the darkness, it was cute really. But the most dangerous human female knew that Derek was no longer the vicious man he was when he inducted her in Ghosts, in fact, Ghosts no longer existed and as far as she knew, Derek had no intentions of reforming the team, so for now at least, Kushina was safe from performing the disgusting tasks that come with the title of being a Ghost, "Have you come to terms with the reality of who you work for?" She added after her pondering, tilting her head as she eyed the yōkai woman intently.

Kushina inhaled, biting her lip before she nodded, "I have… it was… difficult…" She was being completely honest. Despite witnessing it first hand, she was still a little numb about everything she saw in London, it wasn't every day that you find out that there was so much secrecy in the human world, "But I understand now… t-to be a student of Derek Hamilton… I must…" She stopped for a moment before she inhaled, steeling her resolve, already knowing that after this point, there was no looking back, "I must pledge my absolute loyalty to the Templar Order."

Akio nodded, commenting, "That is correct, if you want to be Derek's student, then you have to forget about your allegiance to your sister, your kind, or anyone other than the Templar cause…" She brought a finger up, talking from experience, "It may not look like it, but the biggest difference between the Templars and the rest, is that they always put the Order first, to the Templars, there's nothing more sacred than its values and even if Derek may not seem like it, he is a fervent believer and dedicated member of the Order."

Kushina nodded, whispering a question, "You talk about the Templars as if you didn't belong to them." She tilted her head, confused when the blackette nodded.

"That's because I don't…" Knowing that Kushina was confused, she explained, "Ghosts was a coalition between the three members of the Venice Council, to represent them all, there were two Templars, Derek and Aleister, two Illuminati, Luis and Niko, and me, a member of the White Lotus, my family is one of the six pillars, so I was immediately pushed to be part of the team…" She shrugged though, adding uncaringly, "But I've never been into all that secret world shit, to be honest, I just liked the adrenaline, I don't particularly feel myself attached to the White Lotus, or any other organization for that matter, my loyalty only lies with Derek, so I guess you could say it falls to the Templars in some way."

"O-Oh…" Was all Kushina muttered, still having trouble registering the information. Despite the fact that she herself was part of a mythology that was supposed to be mere legend, this secret world her master belonged to was something straight out of a spy movie.

Akio chuckled before she shook her head, muttering, "Well then, if you're so sure to continue…" She looked at the redhead who quickly nodded, resolute, "I want you to tell me about the organizations that rule the world, its leaders, a little bit of history and their values."

Kushina shook her head, quickly remembering the book that Akio had given her, a secret book telling all about the secret world she was getting herself into, "A-Alright…" She stuttered a little before she regained her wits and continued, "The most powerful group in the human world, is the Venice Council…" Akio nodded, urging her to continue with a small smile, "It's formed by the leaders of the Templars, Illuminati and White Lotus, along with a neutral party that is known as 'The Curator'."

Akio nodded, saying, "Correct…" She repositioned herself on her spot before the magic user added, "Now, tell me about the White Lotus."

Kushina hummed, a finger on her lips as she gathered the information she read about them, saying once she had it on her tongue, "Well, they are the oldest organization still in active…" Akio nodded, listening as the redhead continued, "They were created in China, during the time of the Han dynasty. It was founded by… umm…" She struggled for a second before it came to her, saying with a louder tone, "Emperor Gaodi!"

Akio nodded with a small smirk, urging, "Very well, now tell me about their power."

Kushina nodded, replying immediately, "Compared to the other two biggest organizations, they are the weakest in all but members, they outnumber the Templars and Illuminati in that regard…" She licked her lips, speaking again after, "But their economic, political and military power is lesser to that of the other two… still, they rule all of Asia, barring Russia and the Koreas."

Akio nodded again, inquiring, "Who is their current leader and which are their values?"

"The current leader is Serato Yoshida, owner of the largest bioengineering company in the world…" At Akio's nod, the yōkai continued, "As for their values, they have two, tradition and honour."

"Very well…" Akio said with a playful tone, finding Kushina's shy smile cute. But focusing back on the lesson, she asked something else, "Now, the Illuminati."

"R-Right…" Kushina gulped, struggling to remember for a moment before it finally hit her, "The Illuminati are the newest of the three, they were created in Mexico by Luís De Velasco, during the reign of the Spanish Empire…" Akio urged her to continue, "The original Illuminati however, came from Italy but the group started gaining power in the Americas, until it finally settled as a proper organization when John Jay introduced it to the recently independent United States."

"Exactly…" Akio agreed, saying after a pause, "Their power?"

"Economically, they are the strongest, they control the major companies in numerous sectors, like technology, pharmaceutics and such…" Kushina phrased what she read on the book, adding after a small pause, "But in terms of territory, they are the weakest, they only have the US, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America…" The redhead was then hit by another fact, so she added, "They used to have all of South America, but they have recently united against them."

"Mhm…" Akio nodded at that, happy to see that the woman was indeed determined to become Derek's apprentice, "All of that is true, but what is their advantage? What makes them powerful enough, besides the money, to compete with the Templars and White Lotus? Who's their leader and which are their values?" She fired up the questions.

Kushina struggled for a second before she replied a little unsurely, "Umm… their industries and the US military?…" She wasn't so sure of herself but after seeing Akio nodding at her, she felt relieved to continue, "As for the leader, they call him the G-man, but only those at the higher grade know who he or she truly is…" Akio once again nodded at that, confirming Kushina's words, "And their values are secrecy, wealth and pride."

"Very nice, Kushina…" Akio said with a small chuckle, the yōkai blushing at the praise, it was such a strange sight to see the usually fiery female acting so coy and nervous. But, putting that aside for now, Akio breathed in before she added once more, "Now, finally, your side, you should know more about them, so tell me about the Templar Order."

Kushina nodded, swallowing before she replied, "The Templar Order was originally created by King Arthur, though it was in the form of the Knights of the Round Table…" Akio nodded at her to continue, "But as time went on, their influence grew so much that it fractured the group and they separated, leaving only two of the original members to create a new Templar Order at the service of the Church."

"And what happened next?" Akio urged the yōkai to continue.

"Umm…" Kushina bit her lip until she could remember, history was not her best subject, "Oh! The new Templar Order became too corrupt and violent, so they were abolished by the Church and seemingly destroyed but…" She paused for a second to gather her thoughts until he could phrase them right, "Years later, Henry III remade the order to fight in the Wars of the Roses against the House of York…" She paused for a breath and then continued, "The House of Lancaster eventually reclaimed the throne and Henry VII officialise the new Templar Order."

"Excellent…" Akio commended, it wasn't easy to learn all of that in such a little time, but Derek had told them that there was no longer time to be thorough, with war on the horizon, Kushina needed to be ready to become a Templar as soon as possible, if she truly wanted that is, "What can you tell me about their power?" She inquired after her inward thoughts.

Kushina tilted her head, replying quickly, "Out of the three, they are the most powerful overall, thanks to the European expeditions and conquests, the Templar Order controls all of Europe, Oceania and Africa, Canada and Western Russia, almost fifty percent of the global territory…" Kushina lick her lips then, adding after the pause, "The only time the order was at real peril, was when the Nazis rose to power, they were forced to cooperate with the Illuminati and the White Lotus to stop Hitler and the Axis."

"Mhm, that is also when the Venice Council was formalised…" Akio added as an afterthought, Kushina's eyes widening at the new information, "And lastly, who leads them and which are their values?" She added as a last question.

Kushina looked at the floor for a second before her violets went back to the blackette, answering the question, "The Templar order is led by eleven Knights and the Grandmaster, Master Derek is one of the Knights while the current Grandmaster is Jonathan Hamilton…" Akio nodded, prompting Kushina to finish, "As for our values, they are knowledge, power and order."

"Excellent! You did amazingly, Kushina!…" Akio congratulated while Kushina smiled shyly, happy to be praised by someone she admired, "I'm sure Derek will be very proud of ya!" Akio added with a teasing tone.

Kushina blushed, biting her lip as she asked with a whisper, "Y-You… think so?"

Akio just stood up and lifted Kushina as well by the shoulders, patting them while saying with a huge grin, "Of course! You'll see!…" Kushina only stared at her numb, observing as Akio walked towards the other side of the room and after opening a cabinet full with fire weapons, she grabbed a pistol and threw at Kushina who barely had time to catch it in her daze, "Let's get to your training then." Akio said with a smirk.

Kushina observed the gun in her hands, confused, she's never held one before so the sensation was new. The yōkai just turned to look at Akio to ask with a tilt of her head, "Umm… how are we training with this?"

Akio chuckled, explaining, "Kushina, if you become Derek's apprentice, you'll rarely have a mission involving the supernatural, most of the time you'll be dealing with human affairs, soooo…" She pointed at the gun in Kushina's hand before she concluded, "You need to learn how to fight like a human."

"O-Oh…" Was all Kushina could say as she was suddenly dragged towards the shooting range inside the training facility they were in. She wasn't so sure how she'll do with this new form of fighting, but she sure as hell will give it her all, she was determined to be the Hamilton's apprentice and there was nothing in the world that was going to make her change her mind.

* * *

A loud whistle reverberated through the stadium, a couple of cheers coming from the side wearing red jerseys followed as they celebrated the goal their captain just scored, said silver-haired man smirking while accepting the hi-fives his teammates gave him.

As Derek panted slightly to recover his breath after the mad run he just did to score that goal in practice, his blues turned towards the stands, where a few dozens of people were watching their school's football team practicing. But, his sights settled on five figures that easily stood out from the rest, two of those figures where his mates Rias and Akeno, who diligently accompanied the representative of the Yōkai, comprised by their leader Yasaka and two of her guards, a male and a female. They were all intently looking at him, with Akeno and Rias waving at him with loving smiles while Yasaka sent a timid grin towards him.

There was a very small pulse of energy however, enough to only catch his attention, so his eyes quickly focused towards behind the stands, where another silver-haired young man was standing, looking at him with a small smirk that he reciprocated before he reincorporated into the practice.

The Drakes' practice went on for another thirty minutes, it was strange for Derek but he could detect how every human around him was nervous, the same tension he felt in the UK was palpable here as well. Even when he arrived to school that day, his fellow students eyed him in different ways, some were dazzled by him, some were afraid of him and a couple were actually looking for answers regarding his speech and the current situation in Europe. He couldn't blame the humans though, the governments were not hiding that conflict was brewing, leaders were only avoiding confirming the third Great War, but it was almost a silent agreement between them all, they were not stupid after all.

When his mind returned to the game, he barely heard the coach's whistle, signalling the end of practice. He just gathered with his team and listened as the coach said some words to inspire them for their next game and after a loud roar from the team, they broke ranks, each one going their separate ways.

Derek saw how Rias gestured for him to come to them, but he made a gesture for them to wait him for a bit, the redhead Gremory heiress tilting her head in confusion as she saw him walking towards a young man, her eyes widening when she saw how alike the thinner man was to Derek, it was as if they were twins, only Derek being rougher on his features while the other male had a more feminine look. If Rias had to explain their beauty in one word, she would say that the stranger was pretty, while Derek was handsome.

"I'm surprised you're still playing…" Vali commented with a smirk once his twin brother reached him, the White Dragon Emperor looking at his rival to add, "You know, with all that's happening in the human world right now."

Derek shrugged, saying with a chilled tone, "The world keeps on going regardless, even without a God, we keep on living…" The older spawn of Satan looked at his younger brother and added with a genuinely disappointed tone, "Though I am bummed that war is breaking out before the World Cup begins, was looking forward to see how England does this time around."

Deciding to tease the older Morningstar a little, Vali chuckled while he said innocently, "Don't they always embarrass themselves in those events?"

Derek snorted, nodding while he commented, "True, but hanging on in quiet desperation IS the English way…" Vali shook his head with a small grin, it always amazed him that despite being a devil, Derek was in fact quite loyal to his home human country, in fact, the Hamilton would always described himself as an 'English' before he uttered the word 'Devil', "You're here with Azazel, I take it?" The Red Dragon Emperor inquired while crossing his arms in front of his chest.

Vali nodded, replying, "Yeah, I'm his escort…" His blues then settled back on his twin, adding, "He hasn't said anything about father though, so either he hasn't figured out our connection, or he's just keeping quiet, probably the latter…" He saw his brother nodding at that, prompting Vali to say with a small smirk, his head laying back on the wall, "It's going down in the summit."

"You received confirmation?…" Derek asked, observing as his fellow dragon nodded with a small smirk, prompting Derek to sigh and after massaging his scruff, he commented, "Are you sure you want to do this? We can still find another way if you're not feeling up to it."

Vali snorted, saying with a mocking tone, "Worried?…" He actually was a little taken aback when he saw Derek's eyes, making Vali smile a little, incapable of stopping that warm feeling of knowing that even if he was never going to say it, it felt good to know that your older sibling did cared for you. Not that Vali will ever acknowledge that of course, they were Morningstar after all, "Yeah, I'm sure, besides, it will be fun and you know that that's the only way he have to draw him out from wherever he is hiding."

"True." Derek only muttered as he nodded his head slightly, pensive.

Vali looked at him then, adding, "The question is though…" Once Derek focused back on him, the younger devil asked, "Do you want Kuroka and Le Fay involved in this?"

Derek did sighed tiredly, closing his eyes and throwing his head back a little before he responded truthfully, "No…" He opened his visor orbs then, looking at the sky as he added, "But Kuroka is adamant in helping with this, regardless of my wishes…" He looked back at Vali, speaking again, "As for Le Fay, she's just too damn stubborn to change her mind, she wants to prove herself to the family, even if Jonathan tried to stop her." He couldn't help but snort at his little cousin's attitude though, a stubborn and determined Le Fay always made for an endearing sight, even for him.

"Mhm." Vali hummed with a small smirk, thinking on the younger girl's antics as well.

"Just keep an eye on her…" Derek suddenly added, making Vali focus back on him as the Hamilton continued, "Kuroka can take care of herself, at least long enough for either you or me to arrive, but while Arthur will do everything he can to protect Le Fay, he's not as strong as you, so just do me a solid and keep an eye on that bugger for me."

Vali wanted to tease Derek for showing such a strange sight of actual worry for his family, but he stopped himself. He knew that Derek was changing and even if he hated to admit it, Vali welcomed that change. Derek was one of the two beings he genuinely feared, the other one being Rizevim, he feared them because while Vali was no saint, he didn't find it in him to be someone truly cruel and vile, and his brother and uncle were quite at ease with being that if it was necessary.

So instead, he chose to just nod and separate himself from the wall, saying with closed eyes, "Don't worry, I'll do that…" He then looked at the distance, to where Rias and the rest were intently looking at them and added, "You should go back to your woman, you have a Queen waiting for you as it seems." He smirked, knowing that his brother was not happy with all the women flocking him, it was quite strange really.

"Don't remind me…" Derek muttered, massaging his temples before he added, "You know what to do then."

Vali just nodded and with that, he started walking away, saying as he left, "See ya on the other side, brother."

Derek just snorted and shook his head, taking a deep breath before he made to walk towards Rias, he does has a Queen to meet after all.

* * *

Rias, Akeno, Yasaka and her guards all observed as the Hamilton began walking towards them, their eyes travelling a little towards the young man the Red Dragon Emperor was talking to, but Yasaka drew everyone's attentions as she wiggled a little on her place, fixing her hair and clothes as she muttered in a way that was absolutely not fit for a legendary creature such as her, "Umm… d-do I…" She looked at the Gremory heiress who raised an eyebrow in amusement at the Nine Tailed Fox's nervousness, "Do I look… g-good?"

Her two guards raised their eyebrows, shocked to see someone they usually feared and respected acting like such a shy school girl waiting for her very first boyfriend to take her to a dance. They might have commented something, but they still knew that Yasaka could turn quite vicious in a second, so they just remained silent.

Rias for her part, just brought a palm to her mouth while she giggled, finding the legendary fox yōkai extremely cute. With Akeno, who giggled as well, stating with a reassuring smile, "You look dazzling, Lady Yasaka…" She turned her violet eyes towards her partner, who was seconds away from reaching them, "I'm sure you're going to make an impression on him."

Yasaka just smiled with a small blush, she knew that she was showing a face that was not fitting for the leader of the yōkai, but she has never taken on a true mate in her life. Kunō's father and all those lovers she's had throughout the years were just that, lovers, to scratch her itch. But this time was different, she knew that forming a bond with a dragon was a completely different experience and it was, more than not, permanent. So basically, Yasaka was trying to get her very first official boyfriend.

"Love…" Rias' voice brought the blonde's attention back to earth, making her shake her head and gulp as she realised that Derek Hamilton was now right in front of them, surveying the newcomers with critical eyes that made her squirm in her place as the Gremory added with a tilted head, "Who was that you were talking to just now? He felt… powerful…" Rias couldn't really put a finger on it, but the other silverette was a lot like Derek, both in appearance and aura.

Derek focused on his redheaded lover, saying without a care, "Oh, that was Vali, this generation's White Dragon Emperor."

The five people before him all jumped alarmed, their guards raising as shivers ran down their spines, the mere thought of having the two Heavenly Dragons in the same place was a frightful experience.

"W-What…" Akeno muttered, worried for the man she's falling for.

"M-Mr Hamilton…" Yasaka stammered, unable to comprehend how friendly and at ease the two dragons looked just before, adding her question once the Hamilton looked at her, Aren't you two… you know… s-supposed to hate each other?"

Rias nodded at that, adding her inquiry, "Yes, all the dragon emperors of the past clashed the moment they saw each other…" She calmed down when she felt that Derek had no worries, continuing after a brief pause, "How come you two seemed so… friendly?"

Derek sighed, cracking his neck before he replied, "It's a long story…" His eyes turned back to the five before him, finishing his thought, "But to summarise it, I guess you could say that this generation's dragon emperors are too busy at the moment to fight."

That calmed Yasaka and her guards, but Rias and Akeno felt worry, with the blackette half-blood asked with worry etched in her voice, "So you a-are going to fight?"

"But of course…" Derek replied instantly, a fierce smirk on his face that sent shivers down their spines, adding, "It is fated after all…" His smirk fell though, when he saw the worry in both Rias and Akeno, sighing and surprising them when he patted Akeno's head, whispering, "But that's for a long time from now, don't worry about it."

Akeno and Rias smiled, both surprised to see that while Derek was struggling to soften up, more so after what he did in England a few days ago, he was still in some way doing it. Akeno just smiled and kissed him on the cheek, thanking him for the tenderness.

Derek looked at Yasaka then, nodding a little as he said, "My apologies for not introducing myself to you, Lady Uzumaki, it is a pleasure to meet such a legendary warrior as yourself."

Yasaka shook her head, getting her mind back to the world as she waved him coyly, returning the greeting with a bow as she whispered, "There is no problem, Mr Hamilton, I am truly pleased to meet you, your achievements and prowess have been the talk of the supernatural world for a while now."

Rias, remembering what she brought Yasaka here for, shook her head and said, "That's right…" Once all eyes set on her, the Gremory continued, "Lady Yasaka wanted to meet you and talk, I thought that since you have some hours before your last class begins, you could take her to grab something to eat?"

For Yasaka, it was quite surreal to see how wifely Rias sounded. For a moment she believed that Derek might get angry for being spoken like that, but he shocked her again when the Hamilton just sighed in defeat, like any husband with his wife, and just nodded, muttering, "Yeah, yeah, that sounds nice."

Rias smiled widely, grabbing his hand and leaning on to give him a quick peck on the lips, saying gratefully, "Thank you…" She then whispered to his ear, "Be nice to her, okay? She's really trying and we really like her."

Derek just nodded and with that Rias and Akeno urged the two guards accompanying Yasaka to follow them away, though they seemed reluctant to leave their leader on her own, that is until Yasaka herself stepped in and said, "It's okay, I'm sure that I'll be more than protected with Mr Hamilton here…" She then smirked a little darkly, adding, "Besides, I can take care of myself, alright?"

Her two guards just nodded quickly and followed Rias and Akeno away, leaving the yōkai leader alone with the human Templar, who said, "Well then, there's a nice dinner not far from here…" He extended his arm to her, inquiring, "Do you fancy some local food?"

Yasaka blushed as she coyly grabbed the arm offered to her, walking towards him and muttering with a small smile, "I would be delighted."

With that, both Derek and Yasaka began their trek towards the dinner.

* * *

"Yes, thank you." Yasaka said to the waiter with a gentle smile, the young boy blushing and gulping at the sight of such a gorgeous woman, nodding quickly to her and then to the equally dazzling silver-haired male sitting in front of her before he walked to make their orders, leaving the two powerful beings on their own.

"You seem to be quite famous, Mr Hamilton." Yasaka commented as she eyed the people that were inside the dinner with them, all of them looking at the couple with captivated eyes. Though, there were some who did looked at the Hamilton with anger, she figured that it was due to his speech during London's terrorist attack.

Derek lazily eyed his surroundings, narrowing his eyes at the table that was sending him hateful glares, the three people in it immediately turning to somewhere else, feeling the danger they were in, "I'd say they're looking at you rather than me, Lady Uzumaki, you're quite enchanting…" Yasaka blushed at the compliment, smiling coyly as the British male added, "And Derek is fine, I'm not one for titles."

Yasaka smiled, replying, "Then please, Derek, call me Yasaka…" She then looked down on her lap, her fingers twiddling nervously as she added, "A-And… umm… thank you for the compliment… you're… you're quite enchanting y-yourself…"

Derek stared at the blonde yōkai before he snorted, thinking, _'Why do they always get like this?…'_ It seriously annoyed him that most people he met, immediately became submissive and coy around him.

 ** _"You seriously haven't figured it out?"_** The voice of Ddraig within his mind made the son of Satan raise an inquisitive eyebrow.

 _"You're telling me you know?"_ Derek asked, intrigued by what his previous incarnation had to say.

Ddraig sniggered, sighing before he explained, **_"Jehovah created Angels, Lucifer created Devils…"_** Derek nodded, listening as the original Red Dragon Emperor continued, **_"Demons, Vampires, Yōkai and Werewolves are derivatives of those lines, in essence, all those races are children of the Morningstar blood…"_** Derek's eyebrow raised as he slowly started to comprehend where the dragon was going, Ddraig speaking again, **_"All of them, the female before you included, are your blood's offspring…"_**

As Ddraig trailed off, Derek finished the dragon's thought, _"They subconsciously recognise me…"_ He imagined Ddraig nodding his head, adding as an afterthought, _"That's why they're so attracted, not just am I a dragon, but in essence, I am their god… me, Vali and Rizevim… fucking hell…"_ He didn't liked the conclusion one bit.

"D-Derek?" The voice of Yasaka brought the Hamilton back to the land of the living.

He shook his head, offering her a small apologetic smile as he said, "I'm sorry for that, Ddraig wanted to tell me something urgent." He drank a little bit of the water the waiter brought them during his pondering.

"Oh…" Yasaka muttered, unsure, drinking water as well before she gulped it and asked with a small smile, "I want to thank you for everything you're doing for my sister…" She tentatively put her hand atop of his, blushing when he didn't retracted it, listening as she added, "S-She's been talking non-stop about her adventure, I've never seen her this determined in my life."

Derek snorted while a ghost of a smile showed on his face, mesmerising Yasaka as he replied, "Yeah, she'd definitely something."

Yasaka retracted her hand to allow the waiter to place their food on the table, saying once she bowed and said her thanks, "Does she has what it takes? Are you going to accept her as your apprentice?" While she was proud of her sister, she couldn't deny that she was afraid of what the Hamilton might have her doing. It was no secret the kind of things the Hamilton did behind the scenes, he was humanity's greatest weapon, the darkness that kept the demons at bay. And she, as a leader, knew exactly the kind of horrors it took to keep them away from the people.

"Yes and no…" Derek replied, earning a tilted head from the woman in confusion, "Physically and mentally, she's excellent…" He ate a little bit of his steak, continuing after he gulped it down and cleaned his mouth, "But, she doesn't have the heart for it."

Yasaka could only nod with a frown, knowing exactly what the Hamilton was talking about. Kushina was a beautiful soul, gentle, kind and always extending her help to whoever it needed it. She was not someone cut out for the darker side of the world.

As if sensing Yasaka's worry, Derek sighed before he added, "But, I no longer need someone like that…" Yasaka perked at that, listening as the handsome male continued, "I've no intentions of bringing Ghosts back, neither do I want Kushina to do things of that nature, she's perfect for what I need."

Yasaka smiled at that, feeling a huge weight leaving her shoulders, knowing that her sister won't be asked to perform hideous acts was something she thanked the Hamilton greatly, "T-Thank you." She whispered with a gentle smile, bowing gratefully to the man she hoped would become her mate.

Derek offered her a ghost smile, leaning back on his seat, his face turning into a serious one as he asked with a raised eyebrow, "But, are you sure you're okay with this? Kushina becoming my apprentice, that is…" Yasaka tilted her head, clearly confused, prompting the Hamilton to sigh before he added, "You know what will entail with her becoming my apprentice?"

Yasaka remained a little confused until her eyes widened, finally able to understand what the Red Dragon Emperor was implying, "O-Oh…" She whispered, her eyes travelling towards her food as a small pang reached her heart. What the Hamilton was implying was that once Kushina becomes his apprentice, her loyalty will be his and only his, Yasaka will no longer be able to count her sister as one of her community, as Kushina will have to swear her allegiance to Derek Hamilton and by extension, to the Templar Order. Basically, if things were to turn sour between yōkai and humans, Kushina would have to side with her master, who'll surely fight for humanity until the end, "W-Will…" She uttered, stuttering a little before she controlled her voice and continued, her blues coyly looking back at the Hamilton, "Will you f-force her to pick sides if the need arrives?"

Derek did sighed at that, massaging his scruff while his face turned towards the window, contemplative, silent for a moment until he finally answered the woman's question, "Me? No…" His blues turned back to the blonde, saying in more detail, "But if things go wrong between our species, she'll have to make that decision herself, I won't force her to something she doesn't want to do…" He leaned on then, his eyes narrowing slightly as he continued with a slightly graver tone, "But if she sides with me, then yes, she will be your enemy, but if she sides with you, then she'll simply be just another enemy I'll have to take care of, simple as that."

The easiness in which the silverette said those words sent shivers down Yasaka's spine. It was clear for her that the rumours regarding the young male were not exaggerated, he was a warrior of the highest calibre and while she had witnessed how truly protective of his women he was during the exchange between him, Rias and Akeno, she was also completely sure that if they were to turn against him, the Hamilton wouldn't even blink as he thrust his sword through their hearts. That's what he was breed for, he was humanity's response to all the gods and powerful beings outside the human realm and the boy has made himself quite the name with every single race that inhabited this planet. Everybody knew that the Hamilton was one to be respected, those who ignored such rule, were no longer breathing.

"T-Then let's hope it won't come to that." Yasaka said with a diplomatic smile, trying to disarm the tension that suddenly arouse between them.

"Yes, let's…" Derek replied dryly, leaning back on his seat once again before he and Yasaka focused on finishing their meals in silence.

 _'Come on Yasaka… say something…'_ The yōkai leader was absolutely frustrated with herself, this unexpected inability to establish anything with her fancy was way out of her character. She was a strong and confident woman, she could have any man, mortal or divine, dancing on her palm but this guy, he was so uninterested in her that the people around them sent her pitying looks, as if trying to comfort her.

It infuriated her.

"D-Do you…" She whispered, having no clue to what was happening to her, pushing her to say these humiliating things, "Do you n-not like me?" She winced when the couple behind their booth moaned at her pitiful question, her desperation plain for everyone to see.

She wasn't like this, she fucking knew that.

Derek sighed at that question, annoyed at the sudden silence that filled the dinner, the patrons and workers sneakily perking their ears, eager to hear his answer. Human curiosity always amazed the Hamilton, no one in the establishment batted an eye at all the comprising things they surely heard, but the second the moment became a romantic scene, everyone was at the edge of their seats.

Focusing back on the gorgeous female in front of him, who looked at him with uncertain teary eyes, he sighed and massaged his temples, silent for a couple of seconds before he looked back at her and said truthfully, "I do…" She blushed, her eyes widening while the corners of her mouth tugged a little upwards, "What is it that you want, Yasaka?" He asked while he leaned back, crossing his arms, his aura leaking to scare away all the prying eyes, giving him and Yasaka much needed privacy.

Yasaka continued blushing, inhaling deeply before she looked at him and with utmost sincerity, she replied, resolute, "A chance."

Derek and Yasaka continued looking at each other in silence, until the spawn of the first devil leaned on and with his elbows resting on the table, he argued, "I don't fight for women, Yasaka…" Yasaka winced, knowing that he was referring to the problem that pushed her to act earlier than expected, "My life is too hectic and busy to waste time on such pitiful dick contests."

Yasaka giggled a little at his words, but she looked down on her lap soon after, biting her lip before she whispered, "I understand that… but I am not looking for just a knight in shiny armour…" She eyed him again, tenderly grabbing one of his hands as she continued, "I want a partner, someone I can rely on, someone that can take care of my needs, I want someone I can do all those things to as well…" She locked her eyes to his, smiling a little, trying to convey all her feelings in her last sentence, "I w-want to know what it feels to be the one protected for a change,"

Derek remained looking at her too honest blues for a couple of moments, discerning her answer, putting it apart and diligently investigating it. It was the truth, she was pouring her feelings and while she was most definitely not in love with him, she wanted to get there. He could also understand her desires, as a leader, you don't have the luxury to be selfish, you must always put your people before you and must protect them at all costs. It wasn't every day that a leader had a personal hero to save them from harm.

"You'll have to talk to my mates for that then…" He finally spoke after a very long pause, Yasaka's eyes widening as he continued, "This sort of things no longer fall under my jurisdiction, if you gain their approval, then we will see how it goes."

Yasaka could barely hold her joy, her mouth wide in a barely restrained smile, wanting to jump at the man and smother him with all her might. But she remembered that he hadn't accepted to anything yet, he was just giving her the green light to a chance and all she got to do now, was to prove her intentions to his mates. She was surprised by that, but it just demonstrated that despite not showing it, he was definitely true to his duty towards his women.

"Thank you." She whispered, a joyful smile on her face while her eyes sought his, revelling on the nod he gave her, capable of seeing a ghost of a smile, probably amused by her so out of character demeanour.

"Why me, though?" Derek said after a pause, a question he's always had regarding every woman that was and desires to be with him, despite his hardest efforts to ensure otherwise.

Yasaka bit her lip, looking at her lap for a moment before she looked back at him. Wanting to be completely honest, she just gifted him with a sheepish foxy smile as she whispered truthfully, "I don't know."

He doubted any of his women knew that answer anyway.

* * *

 _"=Vamos a dejar!… que los yankis nos digan que hacer!?="_ The voice of a black-haired male reverberated throughout the plaza, his voice drowned by the chants and shouts of the millions of people before him, listening to his speech with fire burning in their eyes, " _=Ya estuvo bueno, hombre!…_ _cuantos años nos han hecho menos!… tratado como sus malditas mascotas!… Ya basta conchaetumadre!="_ His declaration was met with even support, incessant shouts and insults towards the main power of the American continent, drowning the plaza while the man that just spoke opened his arms and looked at the sky, as if feeding of all the anger coming off from the Chilean people.

"So easy to get carried away." A beautiful redheaded woman muttered to herself as she observed the television with an amused look. Mei Terumi had always found extremely amusing how easy it was for her species to get carried away the moment your leash has been cut. The man she was observing through the television right now, was Marcel Murillo, one of the main members of her organisation and the primary instigator of South America's rebellion. The man and his people have finally achieved the cleansing of US presence in the southern part of America and just now was he on the verge of solidifying a new global power, the Federation, a coalition of South American countries. So much was his excitement that he failed to realise that he and all the people rejoicing at the thought of the coming war, were nothing but mere puppets in a much larger, yet personal game being played between the Templars, Illuminati, White Lotus and Novum. Four organisations, no more than thirty core members among the four, and they were the ones deciding the fate of a civilization with over seven billion people.

"Milady…" The sound of her loyal assistant, made the beauty turn behind to focus on him, the man saying once her attention was on him, with his ever present haughty voice, "There has been a breakthrough in the search."

Mei's eyes widened before she smiled, excited, quickly forgetting everything else and standing up, fixing her jacket and pants, and making towards the man, passing by him as she started heading towards the war room, stating as she walked, "Are Selvaria and Miyo already there?"

The man nodded, replying, "Yes ma'am, they are waiting for you."

She nodded, the smile never leaving her face as she finally reached the door to the war room.

Her assistant quickly opened the door and stepped aside to allow her entrance, following behind while she nodded at the two other women present, greeting, "Miyo, Sel, I presume you've been informed?"

"Yes." The female once named Vanessa Jones said dryly, her eyes glued to the large screen in front of her, showing some blueprints, an old photograph of a gigantic bell-like object and a map.

"How reliable is this info?" A beautiful blonde woman said as she turned to look at the assistant. The woman had a dazzling face, her expression gentle and warm, though there was a hidden glint of sadism within her honey-coloured eyes. She was wearing a black beret on top of her hair, a business-like black suit with a black cape on her shoulders. The woman was non-other than Miyo Takano, one of Novum founder members and Derek Hamilton's first apprentice.

"Very, milady." The assistant replied.

Mei walked towards the screen, her greens locked to the images as she whispered with a gleeful smile, "I can't believe it has been in Bucharest all this time." Her eyes were glued to the map that showed the country known as Romania, a red dot signalling right in the middle of the country's capital, Bucharest.

"If we know this…" Miyo started saying, trailing off.

"Then so do the Venice Council." Selvaria finished Miyo's thought, a pang in her heart when she mentioned the group the man she loved was part of.

"Mhm…" Mei agreed, though her smile still remained. She instead looked towards the two women, saying, "Then this has turned into a race."

Selvaria raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms below her bust as she commented, "Mei, we have resources, but we're not the Templars."

Miyo agreed, adding with a small frown, "I second that, we know that it's in the city, but we don't know where exactly…" She looked at the screen and added, "The only ones with the resources to know for sure where it is, are the Templars."

"True, true…" Mei asserted with a small nod, but still remained joyful, saying to the still confused members before her, "That's why we're going to crash their party." She tilted her head with her smile enlarging.

Selvaria and Miyo both raised their eyebrows, looking at each other for a moment before the silver-haired woman deduced, "You mean that we're going to follow behind the Templars and snatch it away from them once they find it?"

Mei nodded with a hum and a smile, Miyo commenting, still doubtful, "We all know who's the one going for it, right?…" She felt her heart flutter at the mere memory of her master, adding, "This is a game changer, a potential decider in the war, the only man that Jonathan will trust with this, is my Master." She has refused to stop calling him that. That's what he was, what he will always be. Derek may have lost hope in her, but she was still and will always be devoted to him, she had a goal and will reach it no matter what.

Mei caught how Selvaria bit her lip, taking a hand to her heart, clearly in pain at the mention of the man that apparently, owned the hearts of the three women in the room, "You are correct…" She leaned back on the table, crossing her arms below her breasts before she continued, "Derek will be there, it's a fact, he's a solo player so I doubt that he'll take someone with him, maybe Aleister or Akio, or perhaps that new girl our agents have seen trying to become his apprentice, but I don't think there's going to be more than one person with him."

Selvaria bit her lip, not looking at either of the other two females when she whispered, "And how do you suggest we snatch it away from him?"

Mei's smile just widened, responding in a second, "A reunion."

Selvaria and Miyo's eyes widened, both desiring to reunite with the man. But Selvaria believed that Mei was talking about her, so reluctantly, she asked, "M-Mei… I… I don't t-think I'm ready to face him… I barely k-know what I'm capable of…"

Terumi knew that the silverette only let out half of her reason, but keeping that for another time, she explained, "That is why you're only going as an escort, I was talking about another reunion…" Miyo and Selvaria only felt more confused, Mei smirking when she looked at Miyo and said, "A reunion with the only human that could match his strength."

Selvaria and Miyo once again widened their eyes, the blonde doctor whispering, "Niko…"

"He's ready, right?" Mei asked while she nodded.

Miyo shook her head, her smile showing, excited, eager to see how her techniques have improved after the last revival, "Oh, he will be, I can assure you that much."

Mei just smiled, biting her lip in anticipation.

Selvaria for her part, just sighed and rubbed her forearm, starting to walk towards the door as she said over her shoulder, "Then I better continue training, I know I'll meet him again soon… I need to be ready…"

Mei and Miyo just stared at the British woman, with Miyo asking, "Do you think that Master will recognise her?" It was a given that Selvaria would have to confront Derek.

Mei sighed, closing her eyes as she uttered, "Yes."

Miyo tilted her head, adding another thought, "Why so sure?"

The redhead turn to look at the screen while she explained her answer, "Well, first of all, Selvaria is still, at her very core, Vanessa Jones, Derek Hamilton's second apprentice, I'm sure he'll recognise her movements without much trouble…" She then looked at the blonde, speaking again after a brief pause, "But, it's a given that he'll recognise his blood."

Miyo raised an eyebrow, massaging her chin while her eyes went down, muttering, "You think he'll realise we injected Vanessa with his blood?"

"Oh, I'm sure…" Mei replied, starting to head out of the room, Miyo and her assistant following closely as she looked at the blonde over her shoulder, saying with a smirk, "After all, who else besides him, inherited the blood of God?"

* * *

"N-Noo…" A timid feminine voice screeched, belonging to a cross-dressing devil dhampir who ran around the ground while being chased by Koneko, a frightening white small object in her hand, waving it at the vampire who screamed, "Koneko's being a meanie!"

"Come on, Gaspy…" Koneko stated with her characteristic dull tone, though there was a small glint of amusement in her eyes as she added while chasing Rias' {Bishop}, "I'm sure you're gonna love it once you try it."

"Nooo!" Was Gasper's response, sobbing and shivering while continuing running for his life.

"Satan, he's hopeless." Ni commented as she added with a raised eyebrow, her eyes locked to the comical scene.

"True that." Her twin, Li, added, shaking her head with a small amused smile.

"Do you think we can actually get him in shape?" Michael asked the black-haired woman next to him, who was currently leaning against a tree, her ever present smirk wide in amusement as she saw the youngest devil run about.

Keeping her eyes on Gasper and Koneko, Akio hummed at Michael's question, a moment of pondering before she finally turned towards the rest of Rias' peerage, speaking after, "Well, to be one hundred percent honest…" She scratched her nape then, a sheepish grin when she continued, proclaiming nonchalantly, "I seriously doubt it."

Michael, Asia, Karlamine, Ni and Li all stared at the laughing woman with a sweatdrop, finding her uncaringness somewhat amusing and a tad bit infuriating.

But before anything else could be said, a voice that made them all stand in attention was heard from behind their position, stating, "I see you're having fun, Akio."

Akio stiffened, gulping as she stuttered nervously, "Haha… B-Boss… what's up?…" She refused to look at him in the eye.

Derek walked into the scene with both hands in his jacket's pockets, closing his eyes while he shook his head with a snort, a ghost of a smirk while he approached the gathered crowd, saying, "Just wanted to see how our little runt over there is doing…" His eyes travelled to the still running Gasper, sighing at his cries and tears, "And for what I see, I deduce we've gone absolutely nowhere, am I correct?"

Akio got nervous, looking everywhere but him, whispering a little disappointed with herself, "N-No…"

Derek looked at Akio with a raised eyebrow, it wasn't every day Akio showed such nervousness, he had seen it before, but it's been a while since she has shown it to him. In a way, she was a lot like Akeno, both women showed a very mature outside to the rest of the world, but both were barely above their twenties, there were moments where the two acted true to their age.

Surprising her, Derek sighed and petted her gently, a small smirk aimed at her as he muttered, "It's alright…" Akio was thoroughly disappointed that his somewhat smile was gone as quick as it showed, "It's clearly no easy task." He added with a heavy sigh, capable to see how truly insecure the dhampir was.

Walking towards Gasper and Koneko who was still giving the banned vampire chase, Gasper wasn't looking forward so he ended up crashing against a foreign body, whining as he fell on his butt, frightfully looking up to see who he crashed against, seeing the amused look of her Master's lover. Gasper couldn't help but smile at him timidly, he felt protected whenever the dragon was around.

It was quite a shock for most when Derek crouched and gently patted the vampire on the head. In truth, he couldn't even explain it himself but he just felt a subconscious need to protect the young child, he guessed that it was due to his bond with Rias, as her preoccupations would often become his responsibilities to fix, and Rias held a great deal of worry for Gasper.

Speaking a little softly yet sternly, Derek said to the shivering dhampir, "Gasper, you know you can't keep this up, right?…" Gasper only looked down, sad, depressed, listening as the Hamilton continued unwavered, "Do you care for Rias? Your family? Your friends?"

Gasper immediately nodded at that though, no hesitation present in that resolve, whispering still weakly, "I d-do… very m-much…"

Derek sighed, lifting the boy's gaze towards him, stating strongly, "And do you not want to protect them? To fight for them? To be strong for them?" He wasn't one for pep talks, but being forceful and rough with the kid was definitely not going to help at all. Gasper was just too sensitive, so he required a gentler approach, hence why he relegated his training to Akio and Aleister, who were capable of such treatment. He was able to be like this for some moments but he knew his patience, long periods of such tenderness were completely impossible for the Red Dragon Emperor.

"I d-do…" Gasper replied, speaking the truth but Derek could still feel the immense insecurity that assaulted the young devil's heart. The vampire took some moments before he spoke again, his broken voice barely a whisper, "I… I j-just can't… control it… I c-can't…" He started sobbing again, feeling utterly helpless.

"I may have a solution for that." A laidback voice was then heard from the other side of their position, the voice belonging to a very handsome black-haired man who walked towards them with a lazy step. At his side, a beautiful woman wearing black jeans, a tight white blouse and a dark-purple jacket on top of it, her hair was purple, long and straight, her eyes black and fierce. Though currently, she was wide eyed and shivering.

The devils tensed when they realised that the man approaching them was none other than Azazel, the Governor of the Fallen Angels. But seeing as Derek didn't even flinched at his presence, they relaxed, considering him no threat for the moment.

"Really…" Derek muttered, his eyes travelling to the two fallen, his eyes narrowed at the female who squirmed under his gaze, a look in her eyes that he did not liked one bit. But putting that aside for now, the Hamilton continued, "Then by all means Azazel, tell me."

Azazel chuckled, though there was a tint of nervousness in his voice, he caught Derek's glance at his Cadre and he knew that the Hamilton already figured her out. Deciding to let the reprimand to his Cadre for not controlling herself after he repeatedly ordered her to for later, the legendary Fallen Angel replied, "Well, that dhampir over there has the Forbidden Balor View, correct?…" At the Brit's nod, the Governor continued, "I believe that the problem with him, is that the Sacred Gear is too strong for him as of right now, so if you give him a boost…" He trailed off.

Derek caught on to what the good Governor was implying, muttering as he massaged his chin, "It will allow him to control it for a period of time…" Azazel nodded, Gasper looking at the two adults with fearful and teary eyes, not understanding what the two were talking about, "You're referring to my blood, correct?" Derek asked the Governor.

Gasper's eyes widened, already gag-reflexing at the mere thought of blood. But his protests were drowned by Azazel's voice, "Yup, it should do the trick."

Derek stood up, once again ignoring Gasper's whines in order to grab the small vial Azazel provided him with, biting his palm and once a cut was made, he balled his fist and poured his blood in the flask. He was thankful that the Morningstar attribute of his blood died the moment the blood leaves the original vessel, leaving only his draconic attribute in its stead. Had it be any other way, Gasper would not be able to withstand the divinity of his blood and would surely die an excruciating death.

"B-But…" Gasper stuttered, not wanting to drink that vial.

Derek sighed, closing the flask while he commented, "Gasper, do it for Rias, okay?…" Not able to argue against that, the dhampir only lowered his head and nodded. Derek then threw the vial to Akio who caught it without a problem, saying, "Try it out, it may work."

Akio nodded, smirking as she approached the whining dhampir, the rest of Rias' peerage chuckling and following the human as she dragged Gasper towards the Academy's GYM building.

Once alone, Derek's eyes turned towards the two Fallen, the woman accompanying Azazel shyly stepping behind her leader, almost as if trying to hide from him, "I presume that's the famous Cadre Penemue, correct?"

Azazel chuckled a little nervously, turning to look at the woman and quickly pushing her on front, whispering harshly, "Introduce yourself, Penemue."

Penemue gulped, shivering, her eyes wide while she bowed and stuttered, "Y-You are c-correct with y-you're a-a-assumption…" She coyly looked at him, whispering while biting her lip, "M-My L-Lord."

Azazel sweated profusely while he internally cursed his female sub-leader, feeling the deadly look the Hamilton was giving him, stating as much when Derek muttered with eyes narrowed, his aura flashing for just a second, "Azazel…"

Knowing that he had to defuse the situation immediately, Azazel inhaled and recuperated his courage, quickly explaining while placing a hand atop of the extremely nervous Penemue, "It was her the one that theorized who you truly were, Derek…" Penemue gulped, squirming, with the Governor adding with a bitter smirk, "It was obvious that she'd behave like this at the presence of our creator's grandson."

Derek's eyes remained narrowed, staring at Azazel for some moments before he looked at Penemue who shied from him. She still managed to mutter a little more at ease, "I o-only spoke about this with Azazel… m-milord… I… I promise."

Azazel seconded her words, making Derek sigh with eyes closed, already getting tired of people knowing his true heritage, "Alright then, just drop the 'lord' thing though…" Looking at Penemue who seemed to be about to refuse, he added sternly, "I am not my grandfather, nor my father, Penemue, I am Derek, nothing less, nothing more."

Not knowing how to respond, the female Cadre just nodded dumbly, gulping, loosing herself in her creator's descendant's eyes.

Wanting to change the subject quickly, Azazel cleared his throat, earning Derek and Penemue's attention, saying once their eyes were on him, "I wanted to talk to you about something…" Derek nodded at him to continue, "The reason for why I not only brought your eternal rival here with me, but also Penemue, one of my strongest warriors."

Having an inkling as to where the Governor was heading to, Derek sighed but urged, "Ask away."

Azazel remained silent for some seconds, finding a clear and calm way to word his inquiry, not wanting to rile the Human God up, "It's stupid to believe that the summit will flow without a hitch…" Derek nodded at that, agreeing, "However, having the White Dragon Emperor and Penemue as my guards, seem to be too much of an overkill…" Derek once again nodded, prompting the blackette to speak again, "But, while me, Michael, Sirzechs, Yasaka, Natalia and you in one place could assure security in most instances, there is a little problem we have…" He narrowed his eyes, stating, "Your father's familiar."

"Blue Ben?…" Derek said with a raised eyebrow, earning a grave nod from the Governor. Sighing, Derek did nodded at that, denying the risks that having the strongest familiar that has ever and will ever exist somewhere with an unknown lease, was stupid, "I guess you want to know if I have him in my possession?" He asked after a brief pause.

Azazel nodded, carefully, mindful of his words. They were far from allies, a wrong word could cause a spiral of problems that unfortunately, would not bode well for the Biblical Factions. They needed Humanity.

Derek sighed at that, looking at the side as he replied, "I don't."

Wincing at the answer, something that Azazel had already theorised, the Governor clicked his teeth, whispering, "Then that means…"

Penemue looked completely baffled as Derek said without a care, "My dear uncle Rizevim has it."

Both Azazel and Penemue staggered, the woman hadn't even considered it but Azazel had a feeling that that might be the case. He still hoped to be wrong though, Rizevim was the worst kind of monster there was, a cunning, vicious and vile man who would stop at naught to achieve his goals, however mad they were.

"So h-he is alive…" Azazel whispered, his heart thumping, nervous.

Penemue couldn't even word a thing, too shocked after hearing that the worst of the Morningstar bloodline was still alive and kicking.

"Oh yeah…" Derek said, his hand going back to his pockets and as he turned around to walk away, he said over his shoulder, "Alive and kicking."

Azazel and Penemue could only stare at the Morningstar while he walked away, too stunned to move or say anything. Azazel had no idea why the son of Satan was so willing to reveal such things to him, but he doubted it was because they were close to become allies, instead, he believed that the reason for why Derek revealed that his uncle was still alive, was because the man was everyone's problem.

A huge fucking problem.

* * *

Derek had his eyes closed while he sat cross-legged, right on the middle of his backyard, the gentle breeze of Luxembourg hitting his face while the sound of the street created a perfect ambient for him to continue his meditation, trying to get a better grasp of his Morningstar blood.

It was somewhat surprising that despite being a Morningstar, the most powerful bloodline there was without a single contest, they did came from Great Red after all. But even so, even having such powerful eyes as the Eyes of Creation, Derek had never really found himself eager to use that side of him.

A big factor for that was that he really just found out about who he truly was a little over three years ago, the very same day he found out he had a twin brother. He was already aware of the kind of attention his family had in the past, his grandfather created Heaven, his father created Hell, if he were to come out as a Morningstar, he would've surely been hunted down to either produce more Morningstar, be revered as the new God, or to be exterminated. He didn't really wanted to deal with that back then.

But the main reason for why he has never found a need to use them, was exactly because of that, there was no need. He had never been pushed that far, not something that would warrant revealing his true self. There was that time in Somalia, where he did used some of that power, but he was stopped by Vali just in time, right before a monstrous fusion between the power of the Red Dragon Emperor and the blood of the Morningstar could be carried out.

He shuddered at the mere thought of what could've happened.

But now, it was another time. Rizevim was near announcing his return, he knew that, he could feel it. He needed to be ready, him and Vali, because the only people capable of fully destroying a Morningstar, was another Morningstar.

"M-Master?" The timid voice of the redheaded yōkai known as Kushina Uzumaki made Derek interrupt his meditation.

The silverette slowly opened his blue eyes, rolling them a little so that he could stare at the beautiful tomboyish girl who squirmed under his gaze, the Hamilton saying with a whisper, "What is it, Tomato?" He suppressed the chuckle he felt coming when he saw Kushina's cheeks reddening, a tick in her eyebrow at the nickname he's been calling her ever since she began her Templar training. While he did enjoyed teasing the kind woman, it was mostly a way for him to state her progress, the moment she stops hearing him calling her that, it'll mean that she has grown stronger.

"Mh!…" Puffing her cheeks, Kushina frowned, red as the fruit the Hamilton compared her to. She couldn't really decide whether she hated him teasing her like that, or loved that he teased her in the first place, "Masteeer…" She whined, unbefitting of someone of her calibre.

Derek snorted, closing his eyes again before he conceded, "Alright, alright…" He sighed before his blues once again landed on her, asking, "What is it that you need?"

Kushina inhaled to calm herself, biting her lip for a moment before she stared right at her, hopefully soon, master, wanting to show her resolution when she asked, "I wanted to know… like truly know…" Derek raised an eyebrow, intrigued as the woman paused, "I wanted to know what it really meant to be a Templar."

Derek couldn't help but smirk proudly at that, that was the kind of question someone worthy of being his apprentice would ask. The same question Miyo and Vanessa once asked, "You have the book supplied to you by the Scholar…" He still wanted to see what brought her to ask him directly, that was the most important part of her very first test, the one she wasn't even aware of, "The explanation is in there."

Kushina though, shook her head, her eyes fiercely connecting to his as she explained, "There is a definition, but not a real meaning…" She fiddled with her fingers, her voice shrinking if just a little as she added with a whisper, "I w-want to know what it means to you, Master… what it means to be a true Templar." She coyly looked at him with a pink tint on her cheeks.

Derek stared at the woman's shy, yet resolute eyes, gauging her, until the corner of his lips tugged almost unnoticedly while he looked away, sighing before he spoke, "Alright then, I'll satisfy your curiosity."

Kushina blushed, feeling something unbelievable in her chest since she did caught the ghost of a smile, it felt so good to know that she wasn't a bother to the man she admired, "Thank y-you." She whispered with a small smile, genuinely thankful and eager to hear his answer.

Derek remained silent for some moments, genuinely pondering on his answer. It took him almost two minutes to utter, "Tell me, Kushina…" The woman nodded at him, prompting him to continue, "Which are the Templar values?"

Kushina straightened herself, immediately answering, "Knowledge, power and order."

Derek hummed at that, saying after a brief silence, "And what do you think those values mean?"

Confused, Kushina tilted her head, trying to understand the handsome man's question. It wasn't that she didn't know the meaning of the words, but the way Derek asked her about them seemed to point out towards a different meaning, a deeper one, more related to the Order itself than their textbook definitions, "Umm… I… I d-don't understand your question, Master…" She whispered defeated, hating herself right now.

Knowing that, Derek reassured her in his own way, "It's okay, the true meaning of those values don't come until you've been a follower of our creed for a while…" Once Kushina smiled a little, he continued, "Now, in order for you to understand what it means to be a Templar, you must understand that our values, are simply a consecution of each other."

Kushina's eyes widened a little but her head was tilted, announcing her confusion.

Derek sighed as he tried to find a better way to explain, "Let me word that differently…" The redhead nodded thankfully at him, a shy smile on her face that made him continue, "Our ultimate goal is order, absolute order…" Kushina nodded at that, intently listening as the Hamilton kept speaking, "Easy to say, but putting it to the practice is almost impossible…" His eyes narrowed at the distance, "In order for a Templar to succeed on his or her mission, they must do something significant to further the Order's goals, you need to achieve power, a lot of it…" He then turned to Kushina to state, "In order to achieve that power, you need the knowledge to wield it, through that knowledge you will achieve the power, and through that power…" He trailed off.

"Order comes…" Kushina finished her Master's sentence with a whisper, her eyes wide as she finally understood the meaning of the Templar values, "They're steps…" She whispered again, her eyes lingering on the man before her as she finished with an enlightened tone, "The first step is knowledge… then power… and lastly… order."

Derek nodded at that, keeping his pride over her to himself for now. Despite not having the true heart to become a very influential Templar, she did had what it took to be a real Knight of the Order, "Exactly…" He muttered, licking his lips before he concluded, "If you want me to summarise what it means to be a Templar, then let me simplify…" He focused on her, "A true Illuminati is the one with the greatest greed, a true White Lotus is the one with the greatest honour… and a true Templar… is the one with the greatest ambition."

Kushina awed at that, she still hadn't fully grasped the meaning, but she now knew the first lesson, the real one. She understood the very core of being a Templar, which was exactly that, one with great ambition.

"The rest is up to you to understand, Tomato." He finished with a small smirk.

Kushina flushed, her cheeks reddening immediately while she felt a need to physically harm the man she admired. But she controlled herself and instead of exploding, she just stood up and with a hasty thank, she steamed towards the house, cursing all the way.

Derek just chuckled a little, amused, finding some enjoyment in teasing the girl, he had to admit that he found himself fond of her. But putting that aside for now, the silverette fully focused back on his meditation, tomorrow was the summit and he needed to be ready for it.

It was almost a given that his family's pet would show up.

* * *

"Damn… a little too much, no?" Akio muttered as she walked beside her leader. She and Aleister were currently acting as Derek Hamilton's guards, accompanying the Brit to the Leader's Summit that was taking place as of right now. Yubelluna, Marion, Burent, Xuelan, Siris and Kushina were guarding the perimeter along with the other beings present at the overcrowded Academy they attend to. Raynare, Kalawarner and Griselda though, had to stay behind, as they could not be seen with the Hamilton, not until an alliance was signed at the least.

"Well, maybe…" Aleister nodded at his friend's observation, looking all around them as they strolled towards the room where the meeting will be held. There were dozens of Devils, Angels and Fallen Angels around them. Natalia Dracul and Yasaka Uzumaki also had their own personal security that while only being two guards each, their power could be felt even from the distance, "But better be cautious than sorry."

Akio just nodded at that, smirking a little defiantly at some Devils who sneered at her, the tension between all the factions could be cut with a knife without trouble, "What's our stance for the meeting, Boss?" The beauty then asked her Templar leader, her orbs focusing on the man she hoped one day would look at her again.

Derek looked at the woman over his shoulder, replying after a moment, "Reluctantly willing."

Akio just snorted at that, with Aleister raising an eyebrow as he commented, "Oh, that's why we're late?" The Human faction was at the very least fifteen minutes late.

Derek just nodded, ignoring the warriors of the different factions that were silently challenging him, making his way towards the room where the leaders were engaged in the meeting, surely anxious to see the humans arrive, "This is a treaty intended for the sake of the Biblical Factions, we need them to understand that completely."

Knowing that they were close to reaching their destination, Akio quickly asked with a whisper, "And what about the Vampires and Yōkai?" She knew why they were here, there was a Morningstar on the loose and that obviously would bring everyone together. But she still argued that a meeting with those two factions could have been dated for later.

"Michael, Sirzechs and Azazel are not stupid…" Derek answered, concluding just as he was about to open the large doors that led to the meeting, "This is the only time where an alliance like this can be achieved quickly."

Akio and Aleister just nodded, immediately going silent and turning their auras on, their power flaring as they walked behind the British royal.

As they entered the room, Derek's eyes headed towards his Gremory mate, who seemed to be finishing her report regarding the Kokabiel incident. She just smiled slightly as he nodded at her, the tension in the room increasing when they all felt the hostility coming from the Human side.

Derek walked towards the table, unapologetic, his eyes roaming at the people in the room, making sure to show his antagonism as it was necessary that everyone in there was on edge.

On the left side of the room, the Devil side was placed. Rias and her peerage along with Sona and her [Queen] all stood behind the devil delegation that consisted of Grayfia as guard of Sirzechs and Serafall, who were both sitting at the table.

Right next to them, towards the Hamilton, Yasaka looked at him with a cheerful smile, ignoring his current hostility as she waved delightedly, joyful to see him again in such a short amount of time. Behind her, her two powerful yōkai guards diligently stood, keeping their eyes ready for anything that might occur.

At the far side of the room, there was Michael, the Archangel and current leader of Heaven, a gentle smile on his delicate face as he nodded at him. Behind him, surprising the Hamilton, Gabriel was cheerfully waving at him, almost squealing, drawing a tired sigh from him as the people in the room felt confused by the powerful and pure angel's strange demeanour. Ignoring her for now, Derek then focused on the two female knights behind the pair from Heaven, not too surprised to see Irina and Xenovia there, _'Hm… Michael surely knows about Irina and I… and I guess he figured out Xenovia…'_ It didn't bothered him though.

Next to the Angel side, to their right, Queen Natalia of the Vampires nodded at him with a gentle smile, eager to see him. Her two escorts still had those mistrusting looks towards him though, but it was understandable.

And lastly, closest to him, there was Azazel, who was lazily sitting, leaning back while an arm dropped over the chair's rest, smirking at him with a small wink. Behind him, leaning against the right side wall, was his brother Vali, looking at him with one eye open, snorting as greeting before he closed his eye again, seemingly uninterested. Next to him, still a little nervous as the day he saw her for the first time, was Penemue, who smiled timidly at him before her eyes went back to the table.

Derek just ignored formalities and sat down, Akio and Aleister quickly standing behind him, arms behind their backs, postures stiff and antagonistic.

"It's nice for you to finally grace us, Mr Hamilton…" Serafall commented with a half amused, half irritated smirk, adding as an afterthought, "We were starting to wonder if you'd show up at all."

Michael nodded at that, adding with a genuinely curious tone, "Yes, we didn't know who to expect either, you or your grandfather."

Derek knew that there was great confusion coming from Rias and her peerage, noticing how antagonistic he was being. But deciding to explain his actions after the meeting ends, he continued his tough front when he nodded uncaringly, replying dryly, "He has more important things to deal with…" He suppressed his smirk when he saw how every leader winced at his answer, continuing, "He relegated the task to me, thus, here I am."

Knowing that the human was in no mood for dilly dally, Sirzechs spoke "And that's all that matters…" The rest of the leaders nodded at those words, with the redheaded King adding with a gentle smile, "Would you like to hear about…"

He was interrupted by the Hamilton however, as he waved off the offer, saying, "There's no need, I was there…" Ignoring the stiff nods he received, the silverette placed both elbows on the surface of the table, leaning on as he added, "Let's just jump to the main dish, we're busy people after all."

Sirzechs just sighed as the tension came back, muttering a little deflated, "Alright…" The Devil King then turned towards Azazel, stating just after a brief pause, "The good Governor here was about to explain his side of the story regarding Kokabiel."

All eyes turned towards the blackette male in question, Azazel sighing before he just shrugged as he replied dryly, "There's no 'my side' to this story…" He leaned on, waving his hand while he continued, "He went rogue, simple as that, I genuinely had no clue about his plans…" No one refuted those words, Azazel might be laidback and cocky, but he was no liar and everybody knew that, "But it's still my responsibility and for that…" His eyes went to Rias, Sona and their peerages as he concluded honestly, "You have my apologies, I promise you, I won't be as lenient with my subordinates from now on."

Rias and Sona just nodded at those words, with the redhead stealing a quick glance at her mate to try and figure out what his plan was. She knew he wasn't acting like that just for the kicks, there was a reason behind it for sure.

"You really think that's…" Serafall was starting to say with a little irritated frown, but was interrupted by the leader of the Fallen Angels.

"Why don't we skip all this nonsense and just jump right into the real meaning of this summit…" Azazel's words caught everyone by surprise, observing as the blackette leaned on and with a satisfied smirk, he stated as he pointed at the Hamilton, "After all, just like Mr Hamilton stated, we are very busy people."

Michael nodded at that, the blond angel saying after a moment, "Then why don't you tell us why did you called for this summit, Azazel?" He gently smiled at his brother, already having an inkling at the real reason.

Azazel just snorted, looking at all the people in the room before he replied with a little bit of amusement in his voice, "It's simple really, Lucifer is gone, God is gone, everybody knows that now…" He signalled at the lack of surprise in those who weren't leaders, the fact that God had died was now widely known despite all the damage control they tried to do, "So why don't we just declare peace?…" Some eyes widened at that statement, widening more as the fallen added with a small smile, "And I mean a true lasting peace, an alliance between us all."

Some smiles followed that statement, there were still some doubtful glances, but the leaders, well, all but Derek, seemed quite satisfied with that, with Sirzechs nodding with a small smile, adding, "That is indeed a wonderful proposal." It was exactly where he wanted to get to.

Michael seconded that, adding with his ever present gentle smile, "Indeed, this eternal stalemate we've been engaged in has not benefited us in the slightest."

Azazel agreed to that, commenting on it, "There is no point in continuing this any further, I can assure you that ninety nine percent of our races don't even know why we're fighting, it's time to move on…" He looked over the room before he concluded with a smirk, "The world still moves on without a God."

Sirzechs, Serafall and Michael nodded at that, Yasaka and Natalia smiling as well. The only one who seemed uninterested was Derek, something that Serafall pointed at as she said while her eyes went to the handsome silverette, "What does the Human side think of this?"

All eyes turned to the Hamilton who hadn't said anything since his arrival, his eyes narrowed at the leaders before he looked at Natalia and then at Yasaka, replying after the action, "I understand the appeal of an alliance between the three of you, you are part of the same origin after all…" Some nods were given at those words, listening as the young man continued, "And it is almost a fact that Yōkai and Vampires also came from the Morningstar blood, but before you have my reply, I'd like to hear from Lady Uzumaki and Lady Dracul, why is this alliance appealing to them?"

Eyes were then turned towards the two Queens in question, with Yasaka nodding at Natalia since they had already discussed the very thing. The blonde vampire inhaled before she replied, her eyes directing towards the leaders, but lingering on the man asking the question, "I understand the confusion, our races are known for our reclusiveness and in our case, our hostility towards non-vampires…" Derek nodded, urging her to continue, "And while a big part of the why has to do with a little problem we can only discuss in a more… _delicate_ … setting…" The leaders understood she was referring to the possibility of a Morningstar being alive, "The other half of our reason is actually because we are here for the Human faction…" That drew some raised eyebrows, surprised by their reason, "An alliance with the Biblical Factions also sounds quite nice, but as I discussed with Lady Uzumaki earlier, our main objective is to hear from Mr Hamilton and his side."

"Really now?…" Derek commented, his voice low and icy, leaning on before he added another dry question, "And why is that?"

This time, Yasaka was the one that explained as she spoke, "It's different for us, Yōkai and Vampires…" Once she felt all eyes on her, she continued, "Devils and Fallen Angels live in the Underworld, Angels have Heaven, we on the other hand…" She nodded at Natalia who nodded back, the blonde yōkai saying, "Have only a small piece of land, Kyoto and Transylvania, ours in Japan and theirs in Romania, both countries that are in Human territory."

"Ah, I see…" Azazel massaged his chin, understanding now reaching him, "You're here to ensure that your territories are left alone in the coming human war, correct?"

Yasaka and Natalia nodded, it was what they both needed. Putting personal interests aside, their main goal here was to ensure that World War Three doesn't reach their doors. Usually they could deal with any form of human hostile action, but if Humanity decides to really go after their territories, they then had little to no chance to defend themselves. Yōkai had barely above the seven hundred thousands of people, while the Vampires don't even reach the two hundred thousand mark. They are vastly outnumbered by Humanity's humongous seven billion plus of population.

Eyes were now turned to the Hamilton as he hummed, pensive, leaning back on his chair before he nodded, stating, "I see now…" Yasaka and Natalia smiled, but tensed when the Hamilton now focused on the other four leaders, asking them with a little bit of mock in his tone, "It does makes sense why the Yōkai and Vampires would like to form an alliance with Humans, but my last question is…" He narrowed his eyes at the three leaders of the Biblical Factions, inquiring dryly, "Why would you desire an alliance with us?"

Confused, Michael tilted his head, asking, "Pardon?"

Derek snorted, leaning back, stating, "Let's spare the charades, Raphael…" The people had to stifle their chuckle at the way the Hamilton referred to the Archangel, Michael gritting his teeth slightly when he heard Gabriel's chuckle behind him, only she knew that Derek had that annoying habit of mixing him up with the human cartoon characters of the Ninja Turtles, a way to dismiss his authority, very annoying indeed, "If you three join, you actually have a shot at us…" Eyes widened at that statement, carefully listening as the Hamilton concluded with a dangerous question, "So why ally us, when you can just simply restore your dominance on humanity by joining?"

That was the big question, everybody knew that the outcome of the meeting would be decided by how the three answered the Hamilton's inquiry.

Sona was perplexed, flabbergasted, everyone who could understand the impact of the question was absolutely stunned by how someone so damn young, had just cornered beings millennia older than him with a simple question. Derek had them all by the balls and his word was now the ultimate decider, completely demeaning the weight of their say.

It was as impressive, as it was terrifying.

Sirzechs, Michael and Azazel couldn't help but share a glance before the three of them shook their heads, with the Governor muttering, "You truly are Jonathan's grandson." While the boy may not be blood related to the legendary human, in the way he behave, acted and conducted businesses, Derek was the spitting image of Jonathan, a man that had more than once politically cornered people within the Top Ten. But Derek also had the tongue of his biological father, as Lucifer was the greatest seducer there ever was, no one could match him in a word contest, until his son came to be that is. Azazel knew that Derek didn't grew up with Lucifer, but you just can't deny your own blood and all its inherited traits, the silverette was just exactly like the first devil.

Michael, Sirzechs, Natalia and Yasaka nodded at that, a small shiver running down their spines as they all remembered some meeting they've had with the Hamilton patriarch, it was impressive how he can handle them with such charm.

"Think carefully on your answers, gentlemen…" Derek stated dryly, narrowing his eyes while resting his chin on his thumbs, adding with a little warning, "The fate of this meeting lingers on them."

Clearing his throat, Sirzechs knew that the Hamilton was not one to wait, so he decided to state why he, and by extension the Devil kind, wanted an alliance with Humanity, "I can't speak for the Angels and Fallen Angels, but for me, all I want is to get rid of the old ways of my kind…" There were many raised eyebrows at that, shocked to hear such a thing, Devils were a lot alike to the Vampires, proud, arrogant and elitist, "I know…" Sirzechs said as he saw their shocked expressions, explaining, "But the old ways are simply hindering our evolution, every day, we lose more and more high quality devils, all the nobles rely on their inherited strength, and the reincarnated or low class devils are having their growth hindered by the elitists, it won't be long until our kind either ends up as a slave to other race, or we're simply eradicated…" Taking a deep breath, he smiled slightly, finishing his response, "Letting go of old hatreds is the first step, an alliance with the Humans, a race that has thrived beyond any other, will also serve to teach the young devils that humans are not our prey, but our equals."

It was noble, a little bit of a dreamer thinking, but Derek knew that Rias' older brother was not lying, he was just that noble.

Feeling the blues of the human on him, Michael simply smiled and stated, "I simply have no reason to be antagonistic towards you, the Lord had always been your protector and he entrusted me your protection when he passed, I am not about to break my promise and duty for something as pitiful as greed."

An honest reply, an honest intent and an honest desire, there was no deceit in his words. Derek never really even expected deceit, Michael was unable to lie. He still was able to manipulate though, but Derek could still feel that the angel truly believed in his promise.

And finally, all eyes went to the last part of the Biblical leaders, Azazel, who snickered as he felt the pressure, scratching his scruff before he just leaned on and locked eyes with Derek, stating truthfully, "I simply think it's too much of a hassle, no one gains anything, a war will only weaken us, even if Humans are about to have their most destructive war in history, you still have those damn nuclear bombs, it's just not worth it…" He leaned back then, closing his eyes and sighing before he concluded, "Besides, I rather much focus on my research than on commanding soldiers, thank you very much."

With every leader having stated their reasons, all eyes went back to Derek who was still looking at them all with critical eyes, frozen as a stone, his posture betraying absolutely nothing of what he was thinking.

There were a couple of tense moments, everyone held their breath as they nervously waited for the Brit's reply.

Finally, after what it seemed like hours, Derek relaxed and leaned back, crossing his arms and closing his eyes while he nodded slightly, muttering, "Very well, those are acceptable reasons…" There were smiles forming on their lips, but those fell off with the heir's next words, "Unfortunately, an alliance is not something I can offer right now."

Yasaka's eyes widened, stating a little alarmed, "Why?"

Derek opened his eyes, meeting them all to explain his decision, "Because Humanity is about to enter into a global war, I don't think you understand the level of chaos I'm speaking about…" He leaned on, continuing, "Your wars have been, at the most, between the hundred thousands, the war we're about to have, it's going to involve at the very least half a billion of people…" There was great shock with those words, they couldn't even fathom the amount of death something like that will bring, "The Council of Venice and its members cannot focus on anything other than the war effort, we don't have time to play friends."

They finally got his reasoning, it was fair and completely understandable, they've lived through periods of war and during those times, there's hardly time for anything other than conflict.

"We're going to have our hands full with keeping the species from killing itself…" Derek added, leaning back and sighing before he massaged his tightly kept beard and added, "That doesn't mean, however, that we won't accept the alliance."

Eyes once again widened, with Sirzechs voicing everyone's thoughts, "I thought you just said…"

"I know what I said…" Derek interrupted, leaning on and explaining further, "What I mean is that right now, we can only offer a so called 'Soviet Alliance'."

Tilting her head perplexed, confusion shared by everyone else other than the humans, Natalia asked, "What's that?"

Derek scratched his nose before he replied, "During World War Two, in order to stop the Axis, an alliance of over fifty countries was created, known simply as the Allies…" Most nodded at that, privy of such knowledge, "The leaders of the Allies were the UK, the USA and the Soviet Union…" He sighed before he continued, "But in truth, only the UK and the USA were real allies, meaning that only those two shared important information and such, the Soviets were never really allies, they were basically the representation of that old say, the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

The leaders nodded, now finally understanding what Derek was offering, "Now I get it…" Sirzechs started saying, simplifying it for the rest, "During this time of crisis, you can only offer support, not a full cooperation."

"Correct…" Derek confirmed the statement, adding, "We are willing to share information, support you in long scale emergencies and establish trades and diplomacies, make it easier and safer for all of our kinds to mingle with each other…" Smiles followed that statement, now at ease as the Hamilton concluded, "But as long as the conflict lasts, you won't be able to count on us one hundred percent, I'd say at the most, a thirty percent."

"I believe that's fair…" Sirzechs commented, earning nods from the other leaders, stating with a small bittersweet smile, "I think all of us here, can safely attest how consuming a war is." Grim nods followed that statement.

Derek nodded, he had already received proof that Kokabiel was no longer alive, so there was nothing more that could deter him from accepting the alliance, thus he said, "Then I have nothing more to say, if you accept those terms, then we shall move forward with the alliance."

Everyone nodded at that, though Azazel did snorted, drawing everyone's attention as he muttered half amusedly, half wary, "I'm surprised to see you, the Red Dragon Emperor, so at ease with being an ally of the White Dragon Emperor." He pointed at Derek's twin brother who at the mention of him, opened his eyes to look at his twin with a challenging smirk.

Derek snorted back, shaking his head as he commented, knowing that everyone was eager to know why the two Dragon Emperors weren't at each other's throats as usual, "It's not the first time we've encountered each other…" That raised many eyebrows, noticing how Natalia started looking at Vali carefully, it was obvious that she was soon to realise who he was as well, "And back then, we reached a compromise." He added with a shrug.

Azazel massaged his chin, whispering, "Really…" He knew there were too many coincidences between those two, but he dreaded the theory he just formulated, it was troublesome enough to have one Morningstar Dragon Emperor, but two? That was just ridiculous, "And what's that compromise?" The Governor asked as he faced Vali, keeping his dread to himself.

Vali just shrugged, leaning back on the wall again before he replied nonchalantly, "There are things both of us want to do before our fated encounter, we just agreed to postpone our fight until we were both at our best…" He smirked fiercely then, a smirk that was also plastered on Derek's face as the younger Morningstar added with a small sadistic glint, an unnoticed flicker on his finger as Derek eyed him, "We're both dreaming of having the biggest fight in the history, even bigger than Albion and Ddraig's original fight."

There was a collective shiver that ran down everyone's spines after those words, the mere thought of a battle bigger than the one that forced them all to unite, was something outlandish. It made most of them just hope they would all be already dead by the time their fight begins.

Following the tense silence, Sirzechs cleared his throat, drawing their attention towards him as he said with a gentle smile, "Then if there are no more deterrents…" The leaders started smiling slightly as they nodded, with the King of Devils proclaiming proudly, "How about we make some history right now?"

A chorus of agreements ensued that statement, all the parties involved ready to sign and for the first time in history, formalise what would become the biggest alliance in the history of the planet.

But just as most expected, there was a sudden pulse of energy that spread throughout the Academy, the skies and environment tinting with a purple hue.

Inside the meeting room, time seemed to freeze for the weakest present, leaving only those with high levels of power free of the strange occurrence.

"Mm…" Gabriel tilted her head, observing the few that were frozen with them, her eyes then travelling to those that weren't affected, "What is this?" She inquired, curiously poking the face of a frozen Sona.

"Forbidden Balor View." Derek muttered with his hands inside his pocket, standing up and walking towards Rias and her peerage, the redheaded Gremory was not frozen, but her peerage was. He refrained from explaining how she repelled the spell, she would be embarrassed beyond belief.

"G-Gaspy!?" Rias said, afraid, locking eyes with her lover, calming down when he caressed her cheek in reassurance.

Observing the way the Hamilton handled his sister with a happy smile, Sirzechs replied his baby sister's question, "It appears that someone is forcing his power…" He then turned towards were the dhampir in question was, narrowing his eyes as he muttered, "He is in danger."

"We all are…" Azazel commented with a small smirk, adding with a laidback attitude, "That Sacred Gear of his is practically a Longinus when its unleashed without restraint…" He looked at Rias and Derek then, saying, "We need to control it, otherwise it could turn catastrophic for everyone involved."

Rias tensed, feeling an urge to go and rescue his lovely dhampir and nekoshō, Koneko had stayed behind with him and if Gasper was in trouble, than surely so was she.

"But how are you getting there?…" Serafall asked, tilting her head, adding as she touched the window, her finger buzzing as it approached an invisible barrier, "We're locked here, and this is very powerful magic."

There was some silence, the people in the room thinking on a solution, "Damn…" Rias muttered, frustrated as she looked at the floor before an idea hit her, "Castling!"

Derek raised an eyebrow, looking at his mate as he uttered, "Oh that's right…" He looked at her frozen peerage, adding, "You still have a {Rook} piece available."

Rias nodded, determined, stepping forward as she declared, "I must go, I can't let anything happen to my precious servants… I won't let anything happen to them." There was a certain fire in her eyes that Sirzechs had never seen before, and he was immensely grateful to the Hamilton for that.

But still, managing to mask his worry, the Devil King nodded but said, "As you should but…"

The Hamilton interrupted him though, as he stated, "You're not going alone…" Rias couldn't help but smile at the worry, however masked it was, most people in the room could still see it, "Akio, go with her."

The woman in question stepped forward, a challenging smirk on her face as she nodded and declared while bumping her fists, "Sure, no one's hurting my cute little pet if I'm around."

Rias just giggled while shaking her head, Akio approaching her and once she was near, the Gremory grabbed a hold of her arm, but stopped to catch something that Azazel threw at her, a strange bracelet.

Noticing the confusion, the Governor explained, "That's something I've been working on for a while now, it should help the dhampir control his power."

Rias nodded, now turning to her lover who gave her a vial with his blood, adding, "Use this as well, it should help the brat too."

The redhead smiled and quickly stole a chaste kiss from him, whispering with a worried gaze, "P-Please be careful and protect them." She eyed her peerage.

Derek nodded and with that, the Gremory heiress disappeared, leaving the Hamilton to walk towards the window, his eyes locking to the scene on the outside. The only word capable to describe what was happening, was a slaughter. Since every defender was frozen in time, they were absolutely defenceless as countless of what it appeared to be mages fired attack after attack.

"Are we letting them continuing their killing spree or are we helping?" Yasaka commented, eyes narrowed, angry at the intrusion of what she had hoped would be a peaceful meeting, she wanted to have a date with the Hamilton afterwards but this will certainly put a damper to those plans.

Sirzechs nodded, but it was Azazel the one that said with a chuckle, "There are only two people in this room that can get out of here without much trouble…" He eyed Vali then, who smirked, eager for action, the Governor commanding, "Why don't you go and have some fun, Vali? I know your stillness is irritating him."

Vali huffed, fixing his jacket and posture, moments later, a set of blue glowing wings sprouted from his back, the silverette looking at his brother one last time with a smirk before he flew off, using his overwhelming power to destroy the barrier that had them locked in the room.

"And there he goes." Azazel whispered with a smirk, observing as Vali quickly entered the fight and started squashing anyone who crossed him with ease.

Just before anything else could be done, there was a bright flash inside the room, earning the attention of the people in it as it dissipated to show a beautiful woman, her face full of arrogance and hatred as she smirked to them, stating with a cocky tone, "Well, well, well, look at you all, caught like pathetic rats."

Sirzechs sighed, saying, "Katerea Leviathan."

Serafall, who was standing by the King's side, pouted, stating childishly, accusingly pointing a finger to the busty brunette, " _Mou_ … Katy! What's the meaning of this, missy!?"

"You…" Katerea hissed, hot hatred coursing through her veins as she eyed the woman that stole her name, her rightful heritage, "Shut up, you fucking usurper!…" She lifted the staff she had on her hand, smirking cruelly when she said, "Why don't you all just wither and die!"

The last true Leviathan then let the staff hit the floor and with a loud bang, an explosion ensued, engulfing the room in flames and destroying a good chunk of the building.

* * *

Rias and Akio flashed inside the Old Building of Luxembourg Academy, already able to feel the hostile signatures of multiple people in the ORC's direction.

Rias wanted nothing more than to run towards her beloved servants, but she quickly restrained herself from being hasty. Her lover had drilled into her head that as a Brain, she needed to focus on a plan of action rather than anything else, she had what it takes to get out of a tight situation, but she didn't hadn't in her to deal with a mess created by herself.

"Let's be cautious…" Rias commented, her arms crossed below her bust, appearing calm and collected as she warily walked towards her clubroom, adding while looking at her lover's teammate over her shoulder, "We don't know in what kind of situation Gasper and Koneko are in."

Akio just nodded with a small smirk, feeling a little proud of Rias. It had been quite a ride for the once disgraced Ghost, she never expected to be accepted again by her ex-lover, much less by the people that surrounded him, but she had been so wrong. While there was a rocky start, she had become a good friend to all the people in her group. Most of the younger women, like Rias and Akeno, saw her as an elder sister since despite being of equal age, Akio had worlds of experience ahead of them. And she always loved that part, she felt at peace with being an older sibling.

 _'All that's left… is for you to notice me again…'_ she thought with a longing pang in her heart. Her desires for the Hamilton were as present as ever, and despite being on a couple of dates in the last few weeks, they never even reached the second meeting. Mostly because when she had asked Aleister about Derek, the younger male just smirked at her, hinting at the chance.

A sudden explosion drew the two females' attention to their side, to look through the window of the corridor. Their eyes widened slightly when the saw the meeting room exploding, rubble flying everywhere.

"T-They're okay…" Akio muttered with a slight stutter, for a second fearing for her precious people but the fear had disappeared when they noticed a magical barrier from within the smoke, meaning that they were well.

"R-Right." Rias just nodded with the same shaky tone but willed herself to continue her mission, knowing that time was of the essence.

It took the pair some moments to reach the clubroom, arriving to the scene of Gasper and Koneko being bounded to a couple of crosses, both devils having their bodies upside down, Gasper crying his heart out while his eyes shone brightly, unable to control himself.

"What the hell!?" One of the mages commented as she saw the two women, the rest of her comrades going on guard.

"How did you get in here!?" Another one asked, immediately stepping in between the devils and their hostages.

"That is of no concern to you…" Rias replied calmly, flicking her hair in a haughty manner that only served to infuriate the witches more, adding with a small innocent smile, "All that matters is that you can just walk away, stop harming my cute little servants and get lost, you don't have to get injured."

Now, both Rias and Akio knew that Akio was enough to deal with this situation in a second. She was trained to kill Gods, so it was obvious that something like this would be easy for her. But they have both silently agreed that it was time for Gasper to grow, to show his value and to realise that he could do so much if he only tried, hence why the Fudo woman just stared beside Rias, uncaring with her hands in her pockets, looking at the scene with her smirk.

"You infuriating bitch…" The lead witch said in between gritted teeth, her hatred for the woman vivid as she added, "You should've trained your pets better! It was absolutely pathetic how easy it was for us to capture them!" She laughed cynically, taunting the devil.

Rias narrowed her eyes, wanting to rip the woman's face off after such rude comment, she hated the fact that people only saw her peerage as nothing more than pets. She knew that was the image her ancestors have been portraying for centuries, but she hated that people still put her in the same bucket.

But a tender and weak whisper brought her eyes to Gasper, softening when she heard him saying with his eyes soaked, "P-President… s-sorry…"

The Gremory wanted nothing more than to hold him and tell him that it was going to be alright, but he had to grow, so she just smiled sweetly and said, "Now Gaspy, what's happened to the fire you had before?…" Gasper's eyes widened, listening as Rias added with a loving gaze, "Why don't you misbehave a little so I can punish you… and never, ever let you go."

"B-But…" Gasper whispered back, unsure, shaking, pain coursing through him as his power was too much to bear as it was now.

"Runt…" Akio then talked, all eyes on her as she wiggled a small vial with blood in her hand, stating with her fierce smirk, "Are you gonna let these idiots make you their bitch?…" In a movement that was just too fast for everyone present to even see, she crushed the vial and threw the blood towards Gasper's face, painting his cheeks with the Hamilton's blood, the former Ghost finishing with a thumbs up, "Everyone's waiting for ya, kid… you're not going to let them down, are ya?"

Something within Gasper flared as his eyes widened, tears still cascading, the mere thought of failing the people he loved forcing him to take his tongue out and tentatively taste the blood on his cheek, immediately knowing who it belong to as immense power coursed through him.

The witches widened their eyes when the area suddenly changed its tint, no longer able to feel the time stopping magic, their eyes falling towards their hostages, widening again when they were no longer there.

"You bitch!" One of them screamed in rage as she rapidly fired a powerful blast of magic towards Rias.

Rias remained unmoving, her smirk still in place, trusting her cute dhampir to step up.

Her trust was rewarded, as the attack was stopped centimetres away from her, the witches gasping when they were now subjected to the time stopping magic, a horde of small bats appearing, surrounding them while one who settled on Rias' shoulder spoke, its eyes shining brightly, **"You won't harm anyone else! Not while I'm here!"**

Rias and Akio just chuckled, with the Koneko suddenly limping towards her master's side, listening as Rias voice developed a cold tone, her signature power of destruction coming to life on her hand, "You have insulted and harmed my family enough…" She cocked her fist back and ignoring the pleas, she shot, "Be gone!"

The power of destruction connected, but instead of disintegrating them as Akio expected, they merely crashed harshly against the wall and fell down unconscious. They looked in a pretty bad state but otherwise, they were still alive.

Akio was still relieved to see that however, it was a welcoming change to be around someone who despite it all, actually had a drop of mercy on her enemies.

"P-Pres…" Koneko's voice won the elder women's attention, Rias looking at her side to see her {Rook} looking miserable, her gaze casted down, "I-I'm sorry… I should've…"

Gasper suddenly materialised next to the nekoshō, his eyes watering as well as he interrupted with his own apologies, "N-NO! I-It was m-my fault… I w…"

Rias interrupted them both however, by bringing them into her arms, warming them with her presence while she whispered immensely relieved, "Don't be silly, all that matters is that you're okay, that's all I want, nothing more."

Interrupting the touching scene though, was an incredible presence that made them all widen their eyes and feel a fear they've never felt before, their eyes quickly turning towards where the battle was raging, shivering as a huge roar made the earth, and their hearts, tremble with fear.

* * *

"Really, Katerea?…" Azazel mocked as the smoke receded, showing all the people that was inside the meeting room, now safely protected by a magical barrier powered by Grayfia, Gabriel and Penemue, the six leaders present looking at the Leviathan with narrowed eyes, "You thought that was going to cut it?" He added with another mocking glance.

Katerea just scoffed, floating, looking down on them all as if they were nothing but mere pests, commenting, "No, but it was worth the try anyway."

Sirzechs stepped up, sighing before he said aloud, his voice powerful and fit for a King, "Katerea, there is no need for this madness, we can sit down and talk." He hated fighting, it was something he always considered so unnecessary.

"Yes! There's no need to go all psycho-bitch, Katy!" Serafall added with a childish pout, not helping at all.

Katerea fumed, whispering heatedly, "You…" She controlled herself however, remembering that she had the winning card on this, so she inhaled and added once her eyes locked on Sirzechs, "You are a good King, Sirzechs, I'll give you that…" Her eyes narrowed then, "But that doesn't take away the fact that you, and your other pets, are all usurpers…" She pointed her staff at the Lucifer, adding, "I can't even begin to comprehend why people allow you to usurp the name of our great Creator!"

"Katerea…" Sirzechs muttered disappointedly, knowing that there was no way to avoid conflict.

"You do realise you're way over your head, right?…" The voice of Derek Hamilton made everyone turn to him as he added, his face calm and almost bored, pointing at the other leaders present when he stated, "We're outnumbered but even so, we overpower you by quite a lot."

Katerea looked at the human, licking her lips as she countered with a cruel giggle, "Ah yes, you are indeed correct, Human God…" Instead of showing frustration however, she simply lifted her staff, ignoring how the time magic spell had stopped, knowing she still had the winning card, "That's why I brought a little help!" She screamed with a maniacal laugh and her staff shone brightly, blinding them all for a second as a gigantic portal appeared on the sky.

"What…" Akeno whispered once she came back to the world, forced to cover her eyes as dust flew everywhere, confused like the rest of those who just came to be again.

There was a massive presence that immediately made everyone freeze, even the leaders felt a tinge of fear in them when a massively powerful roar came from above, as if the heavens themselves were angry.

Katerea laughed maniacally as from the portal, a gigantic dragon descended, not caring at all at what it chew or crushed on its descent. Even the Leviathan had to move away because she knew that the beast was not loyal to her, it was only here to destroy.

"N-No way…" Penemue whispered, afraid out of her mind as she saw the magnificent creature that landed with an earthquake, huffing angrily as its blue eyes scanned the area.

Before them, was the legendary Blue Ben, Lucifer Morningstar's own familiar and a creature considered to be at the par with the Two Heavenly Dragons. His skin appeared to be made out of stone, dark-blue marble almost, even crouched, the dragon was at the very least sixty metres tall, its wings flapping furiously, creating powerful gusts of wind that shook the building around it.

"W-We're fucked…" Was all Azazel could mutter, a sentiment shared by everyone present, including the attacking party.

It was no exaggeration, it took an alliance of all the mythologies in existence to stop two like these. The leaders were strong, but not even united could they avoid massive carnage, they could probably defeat it, but it would come with a gigantic price, at the very least, of Luxembourg's existence.

Derek knew that well and hence why he tsked, balling his fists. He knew this could happen, but he still had the small hope that maybe, just maybe, his uncle was not as maniacal as he seemed to be. But seeing that even Vali was surprised to see their father's familiar, he could tell he was dead wrong, "It's over for me…" He muttered to himself, knowing that there was only one way to get out of this relatively unscathed. He shared a look with Vali who just nodded unnoticedly.

Katerea's laugh continued to boom throughout the shaking ground, stating with cruel glee, "It's all over for you! You won't be able to stop Blue Ben! Not even I can stop it!"

Michael frowned, his power flaring at its most, action followed by everyone, knowing that going all out was their only chance at survival, "I'm afraid we won't be able to survive this without a significant cost."

"Derek!" Rias' voice made them turn to look to their side to see the redhead approaching them with speed, Akio, Gasper and Koneko running behind her, all of them looking at the legendary creature with wide fearful eyes.

Derek desperately tried to come up with a different solution, but his eyes immediately went to his women and comrades, they were all shaking in fear, capable to understand that most will die today.

"I guess…" His voice made everyone turn to look at him, their eyebrows raising when he started walking towards the dragon who was looking at everything as prey, ready to have a feast, "There's no other way." He finished his thought.

"Derek!" Akeno screamed, desperately trying to stop him.

But suddenly, Derek released a kind of power they have never felt before, a powerful blast that sent them all tumbling back, too far to do anything now since he was just metres away from Blue Ben.

"Are you crazy!?" Katerea screamed, something, something was wrong, she could feel it, there was no fear, no sense of heroics in the Hamilton, he had something up his sleeve and she couldn't stop shaking at the immense presence he suddenly produced.

"I knew i-it…" Sirzechs whispered shakily as his eyes widened, the presence he was feeling was so familiar, unmistakable.

"But… it s-shouldn't be…" Was all Gabriel could whisper, shivering, wide eyes, slowly realising the very same thing.

His plan was ruined and he knew it, he had fought so hard to keep his heritage a secret but Rizevim had forced his hand. Rizevim had won today regardless of the outcome.

"You brilliant fucker…" He cursed his uncle, still able to marvel at Rizevim's incredibly smart chess move. He had just cornered the Hamilton.

Time stopped as everyone stared wide eyed and tense when Derek finally stood before Blue Ben, the dragon shockingly lowering its snout, smelling him, its eyes still raging but not moving an inch.

"Ben…" Derek spoke, gasps heard everywhere when he placed a palm on the dragon's snout, Blue Ben nuzzling on it, purring almost as Derek commanded, "Go back home."

No one could believe what happened next. Just a second ago, Blue Ben was ready to go on a massive rampage throughout wherever he could reach. But right after the Hamilton touched his snout and order him, Blue Ben just completely calmed down and seemingly nodded, a low roar before it nuzzled again with the Hamilton, disappearing in a burst of smoke after.

No one could move, no one could say anything. They've all heard the legends, they all knew what this meant.

"I-Impossible…" Yasaka whispered, barely able to feel her sister and the rest of the people present at the Academy, all of them frozen in shock at the realisation, "Blue B-Ben… its s-supposed to only listen… to…"

Almost as if knowing that Yasaka couldn't continue her words, Sirzechs spoke what no one could, all their eyes completely locked to the back of Derek who remained still, silently looking at the distance, "A Morningstar."

Hearing his true name, Derek could only sigh and close his eyes, knowing the shit-storm that was about to come his way, "Fucking… bloody… hell…"

* * *

 **A/N: Well there ya have it! Sorry it took so long, but I've been cursing those damn Croatians all this time... Anyways, next chapter you're going to find out how Derek met Vali and a little bit of history, so stay tuned! Cheers and see ya later!**


	13. Sympathy For The Devil (Part 2)

**A/N: Shit! There were more things I wanted to write on this chap, but fucking thing was already 27k words so I had to cut it.**

 **I'm gonna focus on TBE for the next month or so, so this story won't be updated in a couple of months. Though I kinda enjoy writing this one more, feels more personal.**

 **This chapter is mainly set in the past, as Derek reveals some of his origins as well as Lucifer and Lilith's relationship. There's also a glimpse Somalia's genocide and how Derek and Kuroka began their bond, so this chap is mainly just a backstory to shine a light on how Derek became what you know.**

 **Without further adu, ado, adeu or however the fuck is written, enjoy!**

* * *

 **Sympathy For The Devil (Part 2)**

You could hear a pin drop as every single living creature present could barely hold themselves together after what they just witnessed. They all had their eyes wide-open, mouths agape, the beating of their hearts could be even heard by regular people.

It was over.

He knew it well.

He couldn't even begin to imagine the kind of shit-storm that was about to head his way. If he already had an annoying amount of attention, within hours, he'll be about to have the attention of absolutely every single creature in the supernatural world as well as the humans that were in the know. News like this spread like wildfire.

"I-I-I-Impossible…" Katerea whispered, shaking, feeling both incredibly attracted and frightened by the presence who remained still right on the middle of the field, "N-No… N-No… y-you're… l-lying…" She couldn't believe it, despite her heart and own blood screaming at her that it was the truth, she refused to accept it.

Derek closed his eyes, controlling his rage. Rizevim had done what no one else had since he could remember. His uncle beat him on this game of chess, fair and square. Rizevim surely knew that all it would take to drive Blue Ben away, was to have either one of his nephews simply order it, since the legendary Stone Dragon would only answer to the Elder Blood and even if another Morningstar commanded it, it would refuse to harm another Morningstar. But that was exactly what the second youngest son of God wanted, to force the spotlight on either Derek or Vali, preferably Derek, so that they could no longer move within the shadows.

 ** _"We can still keep Vali covered…"_** Suddenly, the voice of Albion reached him, adding after the small pause, **_"Having one Morningstar out is catastrophe enough, Vali can still be just the White Dragon Emperor."_**

 _"Some have already figured it out, though."_ Derek replied, sending the mental images of Azazel, Natalia, Sirzechs and Michael. The woman because she knew their mother well and thus, she was the only one that knows how she looked, both Vali and Derek inherited some of her appearance after all. As for the male leaders, they could simply feel it, because as Ddraig stated, they can feel the blood that created them within the two.

 _"They'll keep quiet…"_ Vali added within their mental connection, floating above, a little eager to reveal himself because of all the fights that would come with it. But he wasn't stupid, Derek was the stronger one and had a whole government and organisations backing him up, he could take it. But Vali, he had his brother and a Heavenly Dragon, but they still needed to play chess, carefully, _"You're gonna have to take this one."_

Sighing, Derek nodded, knowing that he had to take all the attention to himself in order to keep it away from Vali. If they could at the very least keep his true heritage hidden for a little while longer, it could still be considered as a save, "Then it must mean that I'm just incredibly intimidating for even Blue Ben…" Derek said, his voice sounding as if it was being projected through a megaphone, the people still refusing to move an inch, only capable of staring at the Morningstar almost drooling, "You know, to make him run away like a little lizard."

Katerea still had immense shock written all over her face, gritting her teeth as she challenged, "P-Prove it!"

Derek narrowed his eyes, feeling the tension building within every soul. He looked at each and every one of his mates and friends that stood there, equally agape, already feeling tired at the grilling he was sure to receive from his women after this was done. But closing his eyes, he shook his head and muttered, "Very well then, allow me to introduce myself again…" He looked back at Katerea while his body was suddenly being surrounded by an unmistakable silver mist, his blues glowing, flickering in another colour as he declared proudly, "My name, is Derek Morningstar…" Everyone gasped as a set of wings they never thought they'd see again suddenly sprouted from his back, his eyes turning bloody red while his hair became even shinier, his aura flooding everywhere, their hearts immediately responding at the presence of the blood that gave them birth, dropping to their knees as the man finished with opened arms, "Son of Lucifer and grandson of Jehovah… the last carrier of the Elder Blood."

It was undeniable now, Katerea could only float down and drop to her knees as she felt absolutely captivated by the divine sight of those wings. Silver. Shiny silver. Just two set of wings, not twelve like the current leaders. But those two wings were absolutely different. Devils and Angels don't really have wings, they're merely a manifestation of their power, instead, they fly with their own magic. But the Morningstar, they're the only humanoid creatures who have true wings, gifted to them by their creator, Great Red himself.

She knew all that, but seeing it in person was just absolutely mind-blowing, she couldn't even breathe as she locked her eyes to the magnificence that was a Morningstar. And Derek, he was the spitting image of Lucifer. Standing there, proudly, his divine silver wings flowing along with the wind, the feathers looking so soft, so mesmerising, so delicious, she felt a need to touch them, to keep one with her forever. Then his eyes, red, crimson, as vicious as blood, a thin slit instead of a pupil, symbol of their draconic origins. But his aura, the aura of their god, their maker, it was impossibly irresistible.

"G-Gorgeous…" Grayfia muttered, feeling more captivated than the rest since her whole family had always served the legendary Morningstar family, they were in a way, direct descendants of them, thus the grey hair and grey crest. But despite being simply just a watered down version of the divine bloodline, she could still feel her heart attached to the figure before her.

"Indeed…" Sirzechs muttered, equally captivated. He never thought he'd see those mesmerising wings again, the wings that had led them for centuries, that made the Devils a glorious race, the wings of the man that created them all.

Suddenly, Michael's hand was enveloped by a golden glow and with a flick of his wrist, hundreds of small balls of energy shot towards the majority of the stunned people, hitting their faces and creating some sort of blindfold.

Sirzechs, Serafall, Azazel, Natalia and Yasaka all shook their heads, their brains catching on and quickly doing the same for the rest, leaving only them, Gabriel, Penemue, Grayfia, Vali, Katerea, Akio, Tsubasa and Rias free to see, with Michael quickly explaining to the confused blinded, "You'll go crazy if you stare at his wings for too long…" He eyed Asia and his knights, who were behind him, blindfolded but they seemed to be out of it, dazed, a bit of drool falling through the corner of their mouths, "Especially if your belief is strong."

Tsubasa, who suddenly came running towards them, leaving her dazed comrades behind, stopped next to Rias, stuttering a question, "B-But why l-leave us free?… I'd t-think that only people with your l-level would be unharmed."

Sirzechs suddenly frowned while Michael blushed, Azazel bursting into a boisterous laugh while he turned to face the bluenette, stating with way too much amusement, "Well Ms Yura, that is because you, the Gremory heiress and the human girl…" He pointed at Tsubasa, Rias and Akio, the three of them tilting their heads in confusion as the Governor continued, "Are immune to his Morningstar divinity."

The three women looked absolutely confused, looking at each other before Rias suddenly asked, "Umm… why?"

Azazel laughed again, Sirzechs muttering a couple of curses before Michael ended up explaining, "That is because you have been subjected to his… _essence_ … in a regular basis…" The three women finally caught on, a mad blush on their cheeks, wide-eyed as they squirmed, knowing well what kind of essence was the Archangel talking about, "Now that Derek has broken all the restraints, we can feel the Morningstar essence flowing within you, you're not like him, but your bodies are now familiar with it and thus, you are free of its spells.

"O-Oh…" Was all Akio could whisper, too stunned to say anything else, only able to stand there alongside Rias and Tsubasa, their eyes travelling back to the man in question. It also explained why out of the four women present that could be considered Derek's mates, only Akeno was blindfolded and seemed to be affected by his presence, since she and him haven't taken their relationship that far just yet.

"This…" Serafall whispered, catching everyone's attention as they looked back at Derek who slowly approached a kneeling Katerea, the bubbly Satan adding after the pause, "This is going to change it all, isn't?"

Sirzechs could only nod grimly, they had no clue what Derek's plan was, but it was a certainty that the Devils, Fallen and Angels were going to do everything in their power to get him on their side, specially the Elder Devils, having the son of their creator on their side was without a doubt something they'll desire above all. Not to say anything of the other mythologies, who would flock him with either proposals or threats.

"Do you believe now, Leviathan?" Derek muttered once he finally stood before the kneeling woman, his posture that of a God, fit for a carrier of the Elder Blood.

"Y-Yes…" Katerea whispered, all of her anger, frustrations and desires already gone. All of them replaced by a toxic attraction towards the man standing above her, her mind not capable to withstand the natural alluring aura of the Morningstar blood. Had she consumed the trump card in her top, she would've been able to resist him, she knew that, but she strangely found herself not wanting to resist.

Derek narrowed his eyes, his wings contracting, receding into his back once again, leaving only his grey aura and those red piercing eyes. He then brought a hand to Katerea's throat, lifting her up effortlessly, the woman not even fighting his forceful grasp, seemingly willing to let him do as he wished, "What to do with you, then?"

Knowing that killing her was the wrong choice, Sirzechs quickly stepped in, saying to the Hamilton, or Morningstar, "Derek!…" The man in question turned to look at him, Sirzechs felt a little lost in those eyes that were exactly like his predecessor's but he quickly managed to break the spell, stating after, "I don't want this stupid division between the old and the new to continue…" He looked at Katerea, adding, "Killing her, will only sour our relationship even more, so please, I ask that you leave her to us."

Derek narrowed his eyes at Sirzechs, not too sure of how to proceed. A part of him was leaning towards killing the woman, simply because it will keep the Devils divided and thus, weak, easier to oversee. But he glanced at Rias and Tsubasa, both looking at him uncertainly, and that was enough to make him sigh and choose otherwise. It may become a problem in the future, but he had bonded with female devils, thus, he couldn't do anything to harm them.

"Lucky." He whispered as he looked back at Katerea who could only dreamily stare at him.

The son of Satan then just roughly threw her towards Sirzechs, the woman grunting in pain as she painfully rolled around the ground, coming to a stop just centimetres away from Sirzechs.

Sirzechs just nodded at Grayfia who quickly took a hold of Katerea, restraining her as the Gremory King smiled at Derek and said, "Thank you."

Feeling that the danger had passed, the leaders dissolved the blindfolds on the people present in the Academy, millions of questions in everyone's minds. Since Derek's wings and power were no longer present, they could once again safely stare at him, eager to bask on his presence one more time, almost like a drug.

Derek though, narrowed his eyes and quickly flashed away from his position, appearing some metres away from once he previously stood, just in time to avoid a powerful blast that clashed against his spot.

All eyes then turned towards the floating figure of the armoured white dragon, his blue shiny eyes aimed straight at the Hamilton, prompting Azazel to tsk as he screamed, "So you were working for this terrorist group huh, Vali?…" He narrowed his eyes, managing to suppress the genuine sadness of the revelation, "The Khaos Brigade, is it?"

Vali's cynical chuckle could be heard throughout the field, the white knight stating, "I told you Azazel, I just want to have fun in this dull, dull world."

Sirzechs flared his power, commenting, "So you became a terrorist? Isn't that falling low for a dragon of such class?"

Vali flew down, landing with a thud, his helmet receding to show his smirk to the world, his eyes not leaving his brother as he responded, "I couldn't care less about the group's goals…" He pointed at Derek then, declaring with a fierce smirk, "All I want, is to fight the strongest… all this diplomatic shit, is too boring for me."

It didn't surprised anyone really, dragons were creatures known to live solely for conflict. They thrived in it, feed off of the destruction they can cause. They were beings made of pure energy, raw, untamed energy, it was only natural that peace, was not something alluring for the legendary creatures.

"Vali…" Penemue was about to argue, but she was interrupted when a new presence came crashing down on them, literally.

Everyone went on guard as the newcomer arrived, landing right next to Vali with a cocky smirk, wearing a traditional Asian outfit that allowed Azazel to recognise him, "Ah,  
Bikō…" He smirked, adding with crossed arms, "Does the old Son Gokū knows what you're up to?"

The identified Bikō just snorted, quickly looking at Derek before he replied the Governor's taunt, "He probably does, good Governor…" Not wasting any more time, he turned to his side towards Vali, saying, "It's time to go Vali, we're about to confront the Nords and we need you."

Vali sighed, genuinely disappointed but dissolving his armour still, saying, "Alright then…" He looked at his brother, a smirk that was both challenging and brotherly when he declared, "We'll meet again soon, my rival."

Derek didn't even bothered to respond as Vali and Bikō quickly disappeared into one of Kuroka's magical portals, off to their mission. He managed to catch a quickly glimpse of his nekoshō mate, who sent him a loving kiss before the image completely disappeared.

There was another tense silence after that, Derek capable of feeling the stares of everyone slowly going back to him, with Michael saying, "Well, I think this meeting has just been extended."

It was Yasaka the one that added, finding herself even more eager to be with Derek as she declared, "Yes Michael, I do believe we need an explanation."

Derek could only sigh in defeat, still staring at the distance, muttering to himself, "Well played, Rizevim… well fucking played…"

* * *

Chifuyu gulped as she looked around, observing the huge base she was in. There were hundreds of military personnel working none stop. Mechanics focusing on the planes and tanks she could see, some soldiers fixing their guns, looking at her with raised and intrigued eyebrows.

Her eyes travelled back to the two men escorting her, their postures stiff and with their guards up, their hands resting on their weapons, ready for any funny business she may pull. Not the she had any intention to, she might be one of the best kendo practitioners in Japan as well an outstanding athlete, but she was far unprepared to fight against military trained men.

She remembered her reason for being here in Luxembourg's NATO's HQ. It was because she was supposed to find a job for her right here, courtesy of Derek Hamilton. Obviously at first, when he had told her about his vision for her, she was a little nervous. He had asked about her physical attributes and endurance, as well as any form of combat training she may have. She had told him all about her and he had explained how he had a perfect job for her.

As a soldier.

She of course was very reluctant and he guessed as much since he had also offered a more conventional job with still a quite good pay, but she couldn't hide her intrigue regarding the military job. With all the tension she could feel all over the world, it was easy for her and the rest of the population to realise that they were at the brink of another great war, so naturally, she felt the need to do everything she could to protect Ichika, a part of her dreading that he might be forcefully drafted if hostilities do break out.

Thus, she made a deal with the Hamilton, her services in exchange for her brother's safety. She had smiled when he told her that there was no need, that as Rias' friends, he would protect them regardless. But as a Japanese woman, she felt it as a must to somehow return the favour, thus, she inquired about the job.

 _'And now I'm here…'_ She thought before she was brought back to the present after the two men stopped, right in front of a medium sized metal door.

After one of the soldiers pressed a com-link, the doors slid open and behind them, the figure of a middle-aged man appeared, wearing a grey military uniform with lots of decorations, stating his high rank within the military.

"Dee neie rekruten ass hei, Monsieur." The soldier said in his native language while saluting.

The man smiled slightly, answering, "Merci, privat, dir sidd entlooss ginn…" The soldiers saluted one more time before they walked away, leaving Chifuyu alone with the man as he stepped aside and said, "Please, come on in."

"Thank you." Chifuyu said, managing to keep her nervousness to herself.

Once inside, Chifuyu marvelled at the room, it seemed fit for someone with such authority. Filled with trophies, medals and photographs telling the story of the man behind her.

"You must be Chifuyu Orimura, the recruit handpicked by General Hamilton…" Chifuyu turned around and bowed in greeting, nodding at the assumption, feeling surprised to see that despite the man clearly being on his late forties, he seemed to have great respect for Derek, "My name is Leo Schauss, I am the Commander of this station."

Chifuyu smiled slightly as she shook the Commander's hand, saying, "A pleasure to meet you, Commander."

Leo smiled, urging her to sit on the chair in front of his desk while he went around it and sat on his chair, stating truthfully, "The honour is mine actually, is not every day that I get to see someone who was handpicked by the greatest human warrior in history himself."

Chifuyu smiled a little bitterly at that, stating, "I a-am afraid I'll disappoint you, sir, I am no soldier…"

Leo could see that she was more worried of disappointing Derek, which it was natural since he had put his faith on her. But deciding to clear her doubts, he grabbed a folder and waved it at her, stating, "That is true, but I assure you that you won't disappoint the General…" Chifuyu looked away after being read so easily, listening as the Commander continued, "These right here, are your tests…" Chifuyu looked back at him then, "And the results are excellent enough to put you in one of the most elite forces of the army, you may not be a soldier now, but I assure you, you have the potential to be a legend."

Chifuyu smiled, feeling determined to prove Derek's faith on her right, "Thank you, sir."

Leo nodded, asking after a pause, "Now, did the General informed you about the team you'll be in?"

Chifuyu shook her head, nodding before she answered, "Y-Yes, he said something about a strike and guard team utilising a secret military weapon that was just developed…" She tilted her head, remembering her talk with the Hamilton before she added, "Something about 'Exo-Skeleton' armour."

The Commander nodded, standing up as he said, "Yes, but I assure you, it's much more than just an armour…" He urged her to stand, asking seriously once she was afoot, "Now before I introduce you to your team, I must ask… you are aware that your loyalty will be with us, correct?…" Chifuyu's eyes widened before she nodded, the man continuing, "Because if there is something that I can assure you, is that Japan will not be our ally, it is almost a given that once again, we will be enemies…" He narrowed his eyes then, inquiring dryly, "So are you completely sure you can stand against your home country on the battlefield?"

Chifuyu did stopped for a moment, closing her eyes with a deep sigh before she opened them again and said honestly, "Japan is no longer my home… I would prefer not to face any Japanese, but I will if I must…" She looked down and added with a whisper, "Luxembourg is my home now and I will do what I must to defend it."

While there was some apprehension to her words, it was only natural, so the Commander smiled and said, "Excellent…" He walked towards the door, Chifuyu following behind as he added, "Then let's go and meet the rest of your team."

Chifuyu nodded and dutifully followed the man, glancing around her to get accustomed to the base, knowing that she will be spending most of her time here.

It didn't took them long to reach their destination, with the Commander opening a hatch that lifted a giant metallic door, revealing what it seemed to be a huge training field, four people currently engaging in different trainings, stopping to see the newcomers.

"Exo-Squad, on me!" The Commander ordered, the four elite soldiers nodding and immediately heading towards him, looking at Chifuyu with curious eyes.

"Is she the last member of our squad, Commander?" A young handsome male said while nodding at Chifuyu, smiling gently in greeting. He was wearing a tight suit, perfect for training. Had deep black hair and contrasting green eyes, his white skin seemed to be almost too gentle for a soldier.

"You are correct, Sander…" Leo nodded at the assumption, gesturing towards Chifuyu as he introduced them, "Exo-Squad, this is Chifuyu Orimura, your last piece."

Chifuyu bowed, saying, "It is a pleasure to meet you all."

The Commander turned back to the four young soldiers, saying when he focused on the male that just talked, "This is Sander Jurić…" The young man bowed again with a charming smile as Leo continued, "He is the team's engineer and informatics expert."

"A pleasure to meet you." Sander said with a smile.

Chifuyu nodded at him, not impressed with his charm.

"This right here…" Chifuyu turned towards the soldier being introduced, a gorgeous short haired blonde female with a gentle look, her dazzling blues looking at her with a welcoming warmth. Though Chifuyu felt herself a little insecure when she noticed the amazing figure of the woman, the tight suit only serving to augment her already impressive curves, "Is Stella Bremer, she is the acting medic of the team."

The woman smiled and made a slight bow, saying with a soft tone, "I look forward to working with you."

"As do I." Chifuyu replied with equal welcoming, already liking the woman who oozed a motherly aura.

Turning towards the last male of the team, a buffy and hairy brunette that despite giving off the image of a common thug, had a wide grin and seemed to be a really easy going chap, "Name's Ronald! I'm the team's brute!…" He flexed his muscles, drawing some snorts from the other present before he added, "Nice to have you on board!"

Chifuyu chuckled and nodded, returning the sentiment.

"And lastly…" Leo said, drawing Chifuyu's attention to the last member of the team, another beautiful blonde that seemed to be the eldest and highest ranking of them all, "This is Seri Awashima, she will be your leader."

Seri smiled slightly and shook Chifuyu's hand, saying with a welcoming small smile, "I look forward to see what you're capable of, Chifuyu."

 _'Where do they get all these models from?…'_ Chifuyu asked to herself while she shook her leader's hand, finding it curious that even Ronald seemed to be quite good looking, Seri being by far the most beautiful of them all. Ignoring that she herself seemed like a model as well.

"Before you show Chifuyu around and start your training…" The Commander said, earning everyone's attention as he added with a serious tone, "I had told you that once your team was completed, I would reveal your role in the coming war."

Chifuyu saw as Seri nodded, urging the man, "Please do, sir."

Leo sighed before he began, "You were all chosen for your exceptional attributes, you are the only people capable of fully testing the Busters' power…" They nodded, Chifuyu feeling a little out of place but still remaining attentive, "But I need you to be ready, because you are going to be at the forefront of the battle."

Their eyes widened, with Stella commenting, "S-Sir?"

"The only place where we can successfully test the suits, is right at the brunt of the chaos, you will be deployed on the hottest zones around the world, but you won't be alone…" He narrowed his eyes, the Commander knowing that the squad would be immensely motivated after what he's about to say, "You will be guarding, at all times, General Hamilton."

Their eyes once again widened, with Seri asking stunned, "You m-mean…"

"Derek Hamilton himself…" Leo affirmed, smirking with a snort as he commented, "He thrives in chaos, so he will be at the frontlines of this war, you will be escorting him wherever he goes, you will do whatever he says, in short, you will be under his command."

There was a fire that spread through their bodies, determined, there was no greater assignment, they were chosen to be in the team of the most legendary warrior that humanity has had. It was the greatest honour.

"So be ready, because the General will come to see you in a couple of days…" Leo then started to walk off, adding over his shoulder, "You don't want to disappoint him, do you?"

"NO SIR!" There was a chorus full of determination, making the Commander chuckle as he left them on their own.

There was a brief silence after the man left, with Seri turning to look at Chifuyu to say, "Well then Chifuyu, are you ready to begin?"

Chifuyu just nodded with a determined look and felt herself ready for her new life. She might be in for a war, but she'd do whatever it takes to protect her brother, even laying her own life.

* * *

"Why do we have to stay here?…" Tsubasa muttered, frowning, her eyes locked to the women with which she shared her lover, adding while crossing her arms below her bust, impatient, millions of questions in her head that she needed to ask her mate, a little pained that he didn't trusted them enough with his greatest secret, "We are his mates, we have a right to be there."

Around her, Rias and her peerage, Sona and hers, Kushina and the rest of the women under Derek's care all frowned at that, sharing the same sentiment and anxiousness. Most of them couldn't still believe it, but they couldn't deny it either, they all saw it, felt it, such pressure, such attraction, can only belong to the blood that made them.

After Vali had disappeared, Derek, Azazel, Sirzechs, Serafall, Natalia and Yasaka had gone back into the VIP room to discuss the revelation of the human's, or devil's, true heritage. Only allowing Penemue, Gabriel, Grayfia, Aleister and Akio to go in with them.

Rias sighed, biting her lip, longingly looking at the direction where her lover was, the feeling of shock and hurt was one that all of his mates shared at the moment. It wasn't that they couldn't see why he had kept that as a secret, despite the immense respect being a Morningstar carries, it was foolish to deny that nobody, save the fools, would want to be a Morningstar. They'll be either hunt down for being too dangerous, or assaulted with innumerable proposals and alliances.

 _'Probably Derek's going to suffer both…'_ Rias added. But even so, she couldn't deny that it hurt, because that was something immense, a massive secret, probably the biggest secret in the world, and as women who decided to follow him, love him and care for him for as long as life allowed it, they felt a little unappreciated.

"We will have our chance, Tsubasa…" Rias muttered, all eyes on her as she added, "He's in there speaking as a leader, with us…" She narrowed her eyes, adding, "He will answer as our mate."

Tsubasa and Akeno, the only official mates present, nodded at that, the rest of those present eager to hear his explanation and all about him as well.

"Are you okay, Irina?" Xenovia, who stood a couple of steps away from the devils, asked her partner who so far had remained quiet. It wasn't that she herself wasn't shocked, her heart was beating like crazy and she couldn't help but feel a devotion towards the man she secretly worked for. She could now understand why Griselda had stayed behind, there was no chance that the ex-nun hadn't realised who the Hamilton truly was.

Irina could only stare at the VIP room's direction, feeling her heart torn once again. Just another remainder that Derek was not the boy she once called her best friend, he wasn't even a human, or completely human at least. But for now, all she could do was shook her head to answer Xenovia's question and wait for the meeting to be over, one way or another, she will have her answers, he had promised her that.

* * *

"Is anyone going to say something or can I go now?…" Derek muttered irritated, his arms crossed before his chest while he leisurely leaned back on his chair. His blues were showing nothing of the anger he felt inside towards his uncle, who had pushed him to this position of being questioned by the leaders of the other factions, _'And I can't even fathom the amount of requests I'm going to receive after today…'_ He gritted his teeth, feeling already tired of the storm that was to come for him, "Let's stop wasting time." He added, leaning towards the table, resting his elbows while his eyes narrowed at the people present.

Before him, the leaders of the Biblical Factions, Vampires and Yōkai all stared at him with blank expressions, still too stunned to say anything. Azazel, Natalia and Penemue, as the ones that already knew, felt too unsure to be the first ones to talk, thus they remained silent.

Michael smiled gently, stuttering a little as he said, "W-Well… you must u-understand that…"

Derek though, scoffed, waving as he interrupted, "Please Donatello, let's stop pretending you didn't know who I truly was…" He leaned on, locking his eyes to the leaders as he continued, "Gabriel and my teammates, I accept their surprise…" He was not going to comment that Gabriel was too dense, "But the rest of you, you all knew it, or guessed it at the least…" He leaned back, sighing before he added, "You felt a connection with me the moment you met me, you may have even felt compelled to follow my command."

There were a couple of tense nods after that statement, with Sirzechs commenting, "I guess you are right…" He eyed the other leaders, who showed the same reaction as his, continuing, "The first time I met you, I was struck by how much you look like Lucifer, your face is the only slightly different thing, as well as being bulkier than our creator…" He sighed, adding after, "But still, you have to understand our shock."

Derek just sighed, commenting while he scratched his beard, "Yeah, yeah, I guess I thought that you, like Azazel and Natalia, already knew the truth."

There were shocked expressions after that, with Serafall asking the Governor, "You knew? How!?"

Azazel sighed, cracking his neck before he replied, "Like Sirzechs, I met Derek when he was a kid, and the likeness with Lucifer was too much to be mere coincidence, so I kept observing him and as he grew up, he just acted more and more like his father…" He looked at the other leaders, continuing, "But it wasn't until I discovered that two of my Fallen Angels were working for him as contacts within my faction, when I looked straight at their eyes and mentioned him, I saw a devotion I have only seen in us when God was alive, there was no mistake there, so I asked him and he was honest…" He then looked at Natalia, raising his eyebrows before he finalised, "But you Lady Dracul, I had no idea that you knew about it too."

Natalia bit her lip, hesitating for a moment whether to answer truthfully or make up a quick lie. It wasn't that she didn't wanted to reveal the true reason, but Lilith was Derek's mother, and she was a secret that only he had the authority to reveal.

"She was my mother's best friend…" Natalia's eyes widened when she heard Derek saying, understanding that the Morningstar just wanted to clear things up from the get go, "Since she's probably the only person who knew her relationship with my father, she could recognise her features in me and made the assumption."

She nodded dumbly, wondering if the silverette was going to reveal that she also knew about her brother. She wondered for a moment if he even knew that she realised who Vali truly was, but it was impossible that he didn't. And since she loved Lilith and wanted to get something from Derek, she decided to just reveal what he allowed her to, "It is as he said…" The Vampire Queen asserted before she smiled gently, the memory of her best friend always cheering her up, "Lilith was like a sister to me, I knew her better than most, probably only Lucifer knew her more…" She turned towards Derek, adding, "Realising that he was her son wasn't too difficult once you knew both of his parents well, Derek inherited her facial features, but everything else is Lucifer, all I had to do was put two and two together and the answer was there."

"Lilith?…" Serafall muttered, a finger on her lips before she tilted her head and whispered a question, "Did the Lord named our capital after her?"

Natalia nodded with a smile, replying, "As far as I know, yes."

There was another silence after that, the leaders feeling unsure what to ask. If they feared angering the Red Dragon Emperor before, now that it was a fact that he was the son and grandson of their creators, the fear was only greater.

Thus, Derek sighed irritated, his eyes lingering on Gabriel who so far has been completely silent, only looking at the floor with her hand holding her left arm, "If you have questions, then ask…" He closed his eyes, adding, "I want to get this over with as soon as possible."

Azazel chuckled, scratching his scruff as he muttered, "Yeah well, it's kinda difficult to know where to start…" He laughed sheepishly then.

"How about from the start?" Yasaka said, her eyes never leaving the silverette, not wanting to miss anything.

"Yes, if it's okay with you…" Michael nodded while saying, smiling gently at the Hamilton before he added his plea, "Knowing how you came to be would be a good start since as far as anyone knew, Lucifer never had a child, most of us believed he didn't even had a lover."

Derek sighed, nodding but saying with eyes closed, "Yeah sure, but I'm not the one who knows the story best…" Everyone felt confused when he turned to Natalia, nodding at her before he said, "She's the one that knows Lucifer and Lilith's story well, so go ahead, Natalia."

Natalia felt a little nervous for being thrown into the spotlight so roughly, but quickly recovering her wit, she smiled none the less since she had always loved Lilith and Lucifer's love story, despite not being one for romance, even she could appreciate their beautiful story, "It will be my pleasure…" She licked her lips and after a deep breath, she took them all to over one thousand years in the past.

* * *

 ** _Everything began the day I was to meet Lucifer, my betrothed…_**

"Dammit…" A young Natalia Dracul muttered while she buried her face deep into her pillow, a frustrated groan escaping her lips while a soft giggle was heard from her side, "I seriously can't believe my father… what's the damn rush?" She complained, her voice muffled with the soft object, but still loud enough so the woman sitting next to her could hear her.

The also young looking woman who was sitting on a chair next to the Princess' bed, was an astoundingly beautiful girl. She had long shiny blonde hair, contrasting with a pair of breath-taking light-blue eyes, as blue as the shiniest of skies. Her face was gentle, like that of the Vampire Princess herself, her beauty equally dazzling. What distinguished them though, was that the giggling woman was wearing servant clothing, just a cream-coloured shirt with black pants, a smock on top of it all to signal her status as the Princess' personal servant.

"I don't know why you are complaining, Natalia…" The woman said with a soft, but still amused tone, gently patting Natalia's back as she added, "Lord Lucifer is the handsomest man there is, I think you're very lucky."

Natalia scoffed at that, not able to disagree that statement since it was the truth. But still, it wasn't what she wanted, Lucifer Morningstar might be handsome and without a doubt one of the strongest beings in the world, but she just simply didn't wanted to marry, more so to a man that she knew absolutely nothing about.

"Then why don't YOU get married to him, huh Lilith?" Natalia asked with a petulant tone, her voice still muffled, tired of the situation but still needing to vent her feelings. She was immensely thankful to have her best friend with her.

The woman named Lilith smiled a little sadly at that, looking down on the ground as she replied, "I am not the Princess of our kingdom, Nat…" She fiddled with her fingers, mumbling after, "Besides, someone like Lord Lucifer would never notice a low servant like me…"

Natalia sighed when she sensed the sadness from her best friend, lifting her face of the bed and looking at the blonde with a soft expression. She knew that the sudden sadness was not entirely related to the conversation, but more so to her story and what led her, the youngest daughter of Victor Tepes, to become a mere servant of the King's family.

Knowing that a change of direction was needed, Natalia caressed Lilith's cheek and said, "Hey now, let's not get down, alright?…" Lilith just smiled a little at that and nodded, controlling herself as Natalia added with a bitter tone, "Anyways, he doesn't even know about my father's intentions, he only called Lucifer here for a meeting, but didn't specified the subject." She frowned, not knowing if the Devil King would be angry about the ordeal.

"D-Don't you think that's dangerous?…" Lilith commented, inhaling before she added while biting her lip, "He is known to be a fair and just man, but he's also known for the brutality and cruelty he can show in the battlefield, I w-wouldn't like to think what anger someone like him could do…"

Natalia couldn't help but shiver herself. Last time she heard, Lucifer was ranked as the seventh strongest being in the world, he was a god through and through. Despite her usual bravado, not even she could act tough at the thought of being the man's enemy.

But she sighed, stretching a little before she said, "We can only hope that my father knows what he's doing…" She stood up, Lilith looking at her while Natalia walked towards the foot of the bed, grabbing a beautiful white dress, lifting it up and observing it, frowning as she whispered, "Reduced to a trophy wife… damn…"

Lilith just stood up and patted her friend's shoulder with a sympathetic smile, knowing how it felt to be seen as just a mere object.

* * *

"I'm sorry…" Michael interrupted the story with an apologetic smile, saying once the eyes of those present went towards him, "But, was Lilith actually the daughter of Victor Tepes?" His head was tilted in sign of confusion.

At Natalia's nod, Serafall inquired, "Then why was she a servant? Aren't the Tepes like royalty or something?"

Natalia nodded again, explaining with a frown, "They are and Victor was their leader at the time…" She balled her fists, adding, "But Lilith was a bastard child he had with a human woman, her mother wanted nothing to do with her so she left her with him, but as a typical vampire, Lilith being a dhampir disgusted Victor and the rest of her family, so he also threw her away like a bloody sack of rubbish…" Her aura flared a little, showing how truly angry she was at those who treated her friend with such disdain.

"And how did you met her?" It was Azazel the one that asked, intrigued as the rest.

She calmed down, unable to stop the small smile as she remembered, "I was a child when I came across her, she was barely able to walk, thin as paper, begging for food and doing whatever she could to survive…" She suppressed the rage she felt when she remembered the state she found Lilith in, focusing on their encounter instead, "Something drew me towards her and since I was lonely, I wanted a friend, so I approached her and obviously she was afraid, but eventually she gave in and a couple of days after that, I asked my father if we could bring her home with us. I was very grateful to him when he accepted with a smile, he also liked Lilith a lot, even treating her like a father once or twice, it was understandable that I ended up thinking of her as my sister rather than my servant."

There were nods at those words, Yasaka looking back at Derek to say, "So that means that when you were born, you were…"

Derek nodded, knowing what the yōkai leader was implying, "Half devil, quarter vampire and quarter human…" Many nods followed those words, now understanding how he got the Red Dragon Emperor's gauntlet. He opened his eyes then, bringing his hand forward and as he looked at it intently, he continued, "But as I grew up, the Morningstar blood combined with Ddraig's power and since both are dragon essence, my dragon nature took over, making me a Morningstar through and through."

There were some sounds at that, awed at the answer.

Sirzechs suddenly looked back at Natalia to say, "It is surprising to hear that Vlad wanted to marry you to Lord Lucifer, he had many women willing to be his partner, but I've never heard anything about him even acknowledging those attempts."

Natalia sighed, resting her cheek on her palm before she replied, "Yeah, my father was too greedy in that regard, he wanted to form a tight alliance with Lucifer, thus he thought of marrying me to him…" She chuckled, adding after a brief pause, "The day I was supposed to impress him, was actually the day that Lilith stole his heart…"

* * *

 ** _Like a cliché, it all began with an accident…_**

"Stand for Lord Morningstar!" A guard announced inside the Vampire Palace as the gigantic doors opened, all the nobles, servants and soldiers standing respectfully, their eyes hypnotically locking themselves to the man that walked after the announcement.

Even Vampires, who were known to be irredeemably disgusted towards everything that was not a pure blooded Vampire, couldn't help but gape and admire the absurdly intoxicating presence of the legendary Lucifer Morningstar, their creator. He walked into the palace with a confident and powerful step, his posture straight, amicable, with a stoic expression that betrayed nothing. Lucifer was a tall handsome man, his silver hair flowing with the gentle breeze, those incredible red eyes glimmering with power, his gaze never leaving their king Vlad, a goatee that served to make his beauty even rougher. To top it all of, Lucifer was wearing black and red royal armour, golden trimmings that accentuated the man's status. His presence was like a vice, incapable to resist, as even Natalia felt herself aweing at one of the most powerful beings in the planet, a man that if he so wished, could annihilate her entire race in a matter of days.

"Vlad." Lucifer spoke once he finally reached the Vampire King, his face still expressionless, but a gentle bow in greeting was still given, a sign of respect for the man that has led the Vampire species practically since its beginnings.

Vlad Dracul bowed respectfully, action mimicked by his wife and daughter who were beside him, with the King stating, "Lord Morningstar, I cannot express how humbled I am for you to have accepted my invitation."

Natalia eyed Lucifer a little coyly, hating the small blush she knew she was sporting right now. Lucifer was just too damn good looking, almost the image of the perfect masculine creature. But what attracted her attention the most, was the small crux he was wearing as an earring, a small chain connecting the silver cross to his lobe. Something felt different about the small shiny object.

Lucifer just sighed, looking around for a moment before he commented, "I see nothing humble about this, Vlad…" They winced at Lucifer's tone, his annoyance by such grandiose welcoming as clear as day, the Devil King adding once his eyes were back on the Dracul family, "I had the impression that this was something important, not to earn you points with the nobility, Dracul."

Seeing the Devil himself narrowing his eyes at him, Vlad gulped, amazing Natalia since she herself felt a shiver running down her spine at the mere hint of annoyance coming from the legendary being.

"Y-Yes, I know, my apologies…" Vlad said and immediately waved his hands, the people understanding and respectfully bowing before they left the palace, "Please, come, there is a feast prepared for you, you must be hungry and tired from the travel."

Lucifer just raised an eyebrow, quipping, "I teleported here, Vlad."

Vlad just chuckled nervously, a couple of maids suddenly reaching them and nodding at the King, with Dracula saying a little hastily, "Where are my manners?…" He pushed his wife and daughter in front of Lucifer, saying, "This is my wife, Selene Dracul…" The wife bowed again with a gentle smile, nervous herself, "And this is my daughter, Natalia." He put a lot of emphasis in Natalia, an emphasis that Lucifer easily caught.

"I-It is a pleasure, M-Milord." Natalia said gently while bowing, nervous as never before.

"Same." Lucifer replied dryly, his eyes staying with her for mere two seconds before he looked back at the King, not impressed in the slightest.

Feeling that, Vlad immediately urged Lucifer to follow him and his family towards the dining room, where Lucifer's special feast awaited, hoping that a delicious food will soften the Devil King and allow Vlad to negotiate.

Natalia felt surprised that her father had an actual legitimate reason to invite the Morningstar over, she had been worried that simply calling for him to just come up with a marriage proposal would really irritated the man. But as the dinner went on, her father had been talking about the problems within the Vampire community, as well as a couple of abnormalities that only their creator could answer.

Still, she wished Lilith was here with her, because never in her life has she felt as unconfident in herself as now. She was beautiful, she knew that well, every man she's met had looked at her with lust, desire and love. But Lucifer hadn't even spared her a glance that lasted more than three seconds, and while sometimes it may be simply because he didn't wanted to seem rude, she, and her parents, could easily tell that the god was not interested at all.

Lucifer could already tell what Vlad wanted besides his legitimate questions, it was easy to guess by how every woman around them was made to be less interesting than the Count's daughter. Natalia was wearing the most ostentatious dress, the jazziest make up and had so far been the one urged to talk the most. Not even Vlad's wife, the Queen, looked as well as Natalia.

With a sigh, Lucifer finished his meal, cleaning his mouth with striking elegance before he inquired, "I must use your bathroom, could you tell me where it is?…" Seeing how Vlad was about to instruct a servant to take him, Lucifer shook his head and commanded, "I can get to it alone, just tell me where it is."

Gulping, the Vampire leader nodded and instructed hastily, "Of course m-milord…" He pointed towards the left, saying, "Just walk out of the room and turn to your left, you will find the bathroom at the end of the corridor, the last door to the left."

Nodding, Lucifer stood up and made his way towards the bathroom, muttering as he walked, "Who does that brat think he is?…" He was annoyed, Lucifer was a thousand years older than the oldest vampire, it irritated him that he was treated as just another 'Prince', "Such a waste of time." He added, sighing when he finally found the bathroom door and walked into it.

He unzipped his armour once he reached the toilet, sighing in relief as he released the pressure on his bladder. Once done, he shook his business and zipped it back, flushing the toilet before he went towards the sink and proceeded to wash his hands.

Lucifer took a moment to take a deep breath, readying himself to go back to deal with the Vampire King. Once done, he headed towards the door and opened it.

He was surprised however, when out of nowhere, a body crashed against him, a surprised yelp with a feminine voice reaching his ears while he felt multiple objects hitting his body, a resounding thud following the commotion.

Lilith had no clue what happened, one second she was about to refill the bathroom's towels and soup, and the next thing she knew, something appeared from within and crashed against her, forcing her to fall on her butt.

Thus, the blonde woman opened an eye to see the person standing above her and immediately felt her blood heating up when she saw the unworldly handsomeness of none other than Lucifer Morningstar, the two remaining stunned for some moments before Lilith widened her eyes and immediately went on her knees, crashing her forehead against the floor and with eyes closed in fear, she stuttered, "I-I-I'm so so-sorry, M-M-Milord… I w-was c-careless a-a-and…"

Lucifer shook his head, sighing before he kneeled and with a gentle hand, he touched the woman's shoulder, feeling her wince. He gently lifted her torso though, her eyes wide in shock when she saw him kneeling as well, the two losing themselves in each other for some moments, an invisible force seemingly forcing them to lock eyes.

But Lucifer recovered, clearing his throat before he said, "There is no need to apologise, young one…" He gave her a ghost of a smile, making Lilith blush and bit her lip as he added, "It was an accident, nothing more."

Lilith felt something excruciating in her chest, her heart beating like crazy, as if a force was trying to take it out of her. She could only stutter again while looking down at the floor, coy, "S-Still… I s-should've…"

"Be more attentive?… yes…" Lucifer said, making her look at him with wide eyes as he added with a small chuckle, "But I should have been so as well…" He started picking up the towels and containers from the floor, speaking as he did so, "So we're both equally guilty."

Lilith could only feel as her face heated tremendously, a deep red all over her face before she shook it off and said hastily, "M-Milord… please… d-don't lower yourself to…" She tried to stop him from picking her stuff up, but he had already finished when she did so, so instead, she ended up grabbing his hand, blushing even more, almost to the point that she was sure she would faint.

Once again, Lucifer couldn't help but stare at Lilith's hand, his eyes gently trailing her arm, resting on her figure, his gaze so intense that it made Lilith squirm, feeling his desire for her.

Shaking his head, he said, "I-I'm sorry…" He stuttered, Lucifer did not stutter, "And again, it's okay…" He helped her stand up, Lilith nodding with a small shy smile, biting her lip while her arms entangled each other, her eyes locked to the ground, "Here." Lucifer then said, giving the sanitary products to her.

"T-Thank you…" Lilith whispered while she coyly grabbed the products from Lucifer's hands, feeling a volt of electricity flowing through them when their hands touched, making her bring the products close to her chest in a hasty manner. She bowed then, saying, "I a-apologise for t-taking your time, m-milord… h-have a n-nice day…"

Lucifer saw as Lilith tried to hastily walk past him into the bathroom, but something within him made him grab her forearm, his expression as surprised as Lilith's by the action, both of them locking eyes. The Devil King couldn't help himself, it was as if something had taken over his mind and body, his lips mouthing on their own, "What is your name?"

The blonde dhampir was a little dazed by the look the Morningstar was giving her, her cheeks a red tint while her chest pumped almost painfully, somehow managing to whisper, "L-L-Lilith… milord…"

"Lilith…" Lucifer whispered the name, his reds locked to her blues, almost as if a silent dance was being held between them.

It seem like an eternity before the two recovered, with Lilith eeping and Lucifer releasing her arm, the female vampire bowing and hastily walking into the bathroom, locking the door with a loud thud.

Lucifer had no explanation to what just happened, he could only stay frozen as he stared at the bathroom door blankly.

Lilith for her part, was tightly clutching the cleaning products to her chest, her back resting on the door, desperately trying to control her heartbeats, knowing that the Devil King was still at the other side of the door.

It felt like hours before Lucifer could recover fully, taking a long and deep breath before he fixed his armour and started walking back towards the dining room, knowing that by some cursed reason, the woman he just met, will be accompanying him for a while.

* * *

"Ow…" Yasaka squealed, completely enamoured by the tale, with Serafall, Penemue and Gabriel sharing the same expression, even Grayfia having a slight tint of pink on her cheeks, enchanted by the love story as well.

It was quite surprising to hear such a tale, it sounded so cliché and romantic that it made complete sense, almost as if every love story that came after that one, was inspired by Lucifer and Lilith's.

Natalia chuckled, nodding slightly, her eyes half lidded as she added with a whisper, "Yes, even I have to admit that it's a beautiful story."

After a brief pause, Serafall leaned on, a blush on her cheeks, needing to know more about her creator's love story, "And then!? What happened after that?"

Natalia giggled, replying, "Well, Lucifer and I had a moment between us, pushed by my father…"

* * *

 ** _But it certainly didn't go as I expected…_**

"S-So… umm…" Natalia tried to come up with anything to say to the Morningstar, inwardly cursing her father for practically forcing her to accompany Lucifer to one of the Palace's balconies, a breath-taking view of Transylvania soothing a romantic atmosphere that was clearly not even tickling the Morningstar, his gaze lost at the distance, as if somewhere else.

"Relax, young vampire…" Natalia's eyes widened when the Devil King spoke with a calm tone, his reds rolling towards her before he added, "I know what your father is trying to do…" She flinched, gulping, "But allow me to reassure you, I've no interest in you."

She didn't know whether to be relieved or insulted by the god's crude rejection, so she only let out a bittersweet chuckle, her hands tracing the fabric of her dress in an uncomfortable manner, muttering with her eyes on the floor, "I… t-thank you, milord… I r-really wished that I could choose my betrothed…"

Lucifer turned to face her, nodding as he said, "That is fair, matters like this, should be a personal choice." He turned back towards the city, his eyes roaming Transylvania.

"Y-Yes…" Natalia muttered with a small smile, finding herself a little taken by the man's unworldly handsomeness. But shaking her head from such thoughts, she looked at her home city too, adding after a moment of silence, "And how d-do you like Transylvania, milord? Has anything caught your eye?" She decided to just try to pass an amicable moment with the responsible of her species, it wasn't every day that you get to share a talk with beings such as him.

Lucifer hummed, seemingly in thought before he replied, "Something? No…" She raised an eyebrow when the Morningstar added, almost to himself really, "Someone… yes…"

Natalia was extremely confused by the Devil's answer, he had been acting so weirdly after he had come back from the bathroom, almost as if eager to leave the room but not the Palace, as he was constantly sneaking glances towards the door that leads to the bathroom, as if waiting for someone.

But before she could say anything else, the door behind them was suddenly opened, drawing their attention towards the timid blonde that appeared, shaking, her blue eyes wide and a massive blush present on her cheeks, trying so hard to not look at Lucifer who much to Natalia's shock, seemed to have a sudden light on his eyes, his lips slightly parted.

"Lilith?" Natalia asked, suddenly feeling like a third wheel, there was an incredible tension between Lilith and Lucifer, almost as if the world around them disappeared.

Lilith, doing her best to avoid Lucifer, kept her eyes on the ground, squirming, knowing well that Lucifer was looking straight at her, not her body, not her face, but her eyes, "I a-apologise for i-interrupting, m-milady… m-m-milord…" She struggled for a moment to catch her breath but finally managed to add, "B-But Lord Dracul w-wanted to know if you wished a-anything from t-the wine cellar?"

"Oh…" Natalia said, tilting her head before she shook her head, saying, "No Lilith, thank you, but I believe Lord Lucifer was just about to go." She could feel his desire to leave already, so she deduced that was his wish.

"O-Okay…" Lilith muttered, her fingers fiddling, biting her lip before she bowed and whispered, "T-Then I s-shall take my leave."

Natalia nodded with a small smile, but was immensely shocked, like Lilith, when Lucifer suddenly grabbed the dhampir's arm, Lilith looking at him with wide tender eyes, her blush increasing, Natalia able to listen to Lilith's heartbeats, exclusive of half human half vampires like herself. The Dracul Princess had no clue what was going on, she was frozen in shock, but even so, she couldn't feel any ill intent coming off from the Devil King, it was the contrary in fact, shocking her even more.

"M-Milord…" Lilith whispered, almost desperately, not even struggling to take her arm away from him, the attraction between the two was so much that it hurt her.

"Lilith…" Lucifer said with a shockingly soft tone, a hand going to Lilith's cheek, caressing it so tenderly that it even moved Natalia, the first devil whispering, "I have lived for so long, done so many things, regretted so many things…" He closed the distance between the two, "Wasted so many opportunities…"

Natalia could only stare frozen at the scene, her eyes wide when Lilith seemingly turned her body to face the Morningstar, eyes as wide as hers, unable to utter a single word or move a single inch, the presence of their creator was just too much to bare.

"I don't want to waste this opportunity, Lilith." Lucifer added after the pause, having no clue himself of what was happening to him. But he didn't cared anymore, something in his heart was daring him to be foolish enough to waste this moment, this flame that ignited so seemingly out of nowhere, but still stronger than anything he has ever felt before. He was equally overwhelmed.

"L-Lucifer…" Lilith didn't even realised that she whispered his name, not knowing the incredible effect it had on him the moment his ears heard her whisper, making their attraction even more unbearable.

"I have no honest clue what is happening to me…" Lucifer started saying, completely honest, for the first time in who knows how long, being honest with himself as well, "But I don't want to lose this rush, this rush that you're causing in me."

Lilith was absolutely overwhelmed, her brain barely capable of staying awake with the intensity of her emotions at the moment, her breath ragged, only having strength to whisper weakly, "I… I-I… I d-don't know what to say…" She was absolutely speechless, the heat she was feeling coursing through her body was something she's never felt in her life, it was so raw, untameable, so vivid.

Lucifer didn't backed down, closing their distance again, their bodies now practically touching as he said calmly, "Say that you will allow me to visit you…" Lilith and Natalia's eyes widened at those words, the Devil King adding as he caressed her cheek once again, "Allow me to prove you my intentions, my honesty towards you."

Lilith could only look at Lucifer wide-eyed, her heart threatening to jump out of her chest, demanding her to accept, to let the Morningstar qualm the raging firestorm within herself. But she couldn't help but shake her head, feeling a sadness filling her when she turned to look at Natalia, knowing that Lucifer was supposed to be with the Princess, not with a lowly dhampir like herself.

The look in Lilith's eyes was enough to break Natalia out of her daze, the Dracul knew her sister figure well enough to understand that she was being attacked by her insecurities again, probably because she was supposed to be betrothed to the Devil. A part of Natalia did felt a little jealous of Lilith, but most of her was overwhelmed with joy, because someone other than her and her parents had finally noticed how truly beautiful and amazing Lilith was. It was unmistakable by the intensity of Lucifer's aura, he was genuinely too attracted to Lilith.

Not wanting to cause more pain to the disgraced Tepes, Natalia smiled widely at Lilith and nodded with wide eyes, urging her, encouraging Lilith to take a leap on her feelings that were as clear as Lucifer's.

Lilith somehow understood what Natalia was silently telling her, the sadness that was taking her hostage suddenly receding, replaced by an exhilaration that once again made her chest rise and fall in quick succession.

The blonde servant looked at the ground for a second, Lucifer's hands no longer touching her, they were now at his sides, the man waiting for an answer, giving her some space, "Why?…" Lilith whispered, holding her insecurities in order to look up to him, biting her lip as she whispered once again, "W-Why me?"

Lucifer couldn't help but give her a small honest smile, taking her heart even more, replying as he held her hands, "I honestly don't know…" He locked his reds to her blues, Natalia swearing that she saw vaults of purple electricity flow between them as they touched, the Morningstar adding after the pause, "But if you let me, we can find out why you, why me, together."

Natalia couldn't stop the smile on her face when she saw Lilith smile, nodding with some tears falling from her eyes. It was that day, that the girl who was once disgraced and thrown away by the Tepes family, became the woman who would own the great Lucifer Morningstar's heart.

* * *

"Giiii!…" Serafall squealed, sparks flowing out of her eyes, absolutely enamoured by the tale, stating, "I had no idea that our Lord had that side to him!"

Everyone who met the legendary Devil nodded at that, including Natalia. Lucifer had always been known for his prowess and abilities to rule. Most people had believed that the reason for why he never chose a partner was simply because there was no one on his level, everyone else was just too beneath him.

But to think that he had a lover, and that it was a dhampir maid at that, it was simply mind-blowing, "What a beautiful story…" Yasaka muttered, blowing a hand-fan to her face, a blush on her cheeks while her mind was suddenly filled with a similar romantic story, though with Lucifer's son as protagonist.

"And what happened after?" It was Penemue the one that asked, straightening her posture when she realised how overly eager she sounded.

Natalia sighed, sipping some of the wine she was drinking before she replied, "Well, for a while, nothing, it took Lucifer two months to go and see Lilith again…" She frowned a little, remembering how delicate and saddened Lilith was, "I was really pissed off at him because Lilith was very scared, she has never had that kind of love and I'm pretty sure she fell in love with him the moment they met, so when he didn't showed up again in weeks, she was heartbroken, believing that he had toyed with her."

Sirzechs tilted his head, asking, "But he did came back?"

Natalia nodded at that, licking her lips before she continued her story, "Yes, it was a week before he showed up, that me and Lilith learnt why he hadn't come…" She inhaled before she leaned back and added, "Two weeks after he made the promise to Lilith, Rizevim had killed Jesus…" Their eyes widened, listening as the Vampire Queen complemented, "So he was forced to step into the field and fight against Jehovah, who as retaliation for killing his youngest son, wanted to apprehend Rizevim."

Michael sighed sadly, whispering, "I remember how much it pained the Lord to fight his sons, he never wanted to lose any of them…" He still remembered how even after Rizevim had killed Jesus, God had no intentions of killing him, only apprehend him and help him reform. God loved all of his creations, but the love he had for his sons far surpassed everything else, it was the pain of losing them all and killing Lucifer that had killed him after all.

Natalia just nodded, continuing, "When he showed up again, Lilith was super shy…" She giggled, remembering how she had to practically drag Lilith out of her room, the gentle dhampir stuttering and whining all the way, "I had to force her out of her room for like the first times he came to visit her…" She sighed, resting her cheek on her palm before she finished, "But eventually she came out of her shell and as Lucifer proved his feelings, she began to embrace him more and more until she had fully accepted him in her life."

There was a wistful sigh coming from the females in the room, even Akio seemed transfixed by the lovely story.

"But…" Azazel started saying, continuing once all eyes were on him, "Was your father oblivious to their meetings? Since he wanted you to marry Lucifer, I mean."

Natalia shook her head, explaining to the confused people, "My parents knew from the start…" She sighed, cracking her neck before she continued, "And while my father was definitely disappointed, he was also happy… just as a said earlier, my father and mother genuinely cared for Lilith, she was like a surrogate daughter to them, so it made them happy that she had found someone who loved her as much as she deserved."

The Vampire's mood suddenly dropped though, everyone eyeing her as she looked down at the table, biting her lip when she whispered, "A year after Lucifer began courting her, Lilith had told us that she wanted to leave with him, Lucifer had proposed and she wanted to be by his side…" She smiled sadly, continuing, "My father had accepted and we all wished her the best, knowing that with Lucifer she would be alright… but…"

"But…" Michael muttered, already knowing what was next.

Natalia held back her emotions, answering with eyes closed, "Six months after they married… Lucifer… died…"

There was a tense silence after those words, the leaders looking at Derek warily, not knowing how he must be feeling at listening to his parents' story. Much to their shock however, the Morningstar seemed completely unaffected, looking at Natalia impassively, waiting for her to continue.

"What…" Serafall was about to ask but stopped to look at Derek, debating whether it was a good idea to ask or no. But deciding that the meeting was about learning the truth, she sighed and hoped for the best once she spoke, "What happened to Lilith?"

Natalia rubbed her left forearm, biting her lip, sighing once she looked at Derek, feeling a little sad for her best friend as she saw the complete detachment her son had for them, "I don't know…" Knowing that her answer drew confusion, she explained, "We searched for centuries, anything about her that might tell us what happened, but we never found a thing… she simply… disappeared…"

"You're certain she didn't died along with Lucifer?" Gabriel said something for the first time during the whole meeting, drawing some raised eyebrows that she completely ignored, her demeanour too different from the one that usually characterised her.

"I have no clue, I honestly don't know what happened to her." Natalia replied, frustrated, all those feelings she's hidden within her resurfacing at the memories, it was painful to remember how she lost the woman she thought of as a sister.

"But it makes no sense…" Sirzechs commented, everyone's eyes on him as he added while looking at Derek, "Lucifer died over a thousand years and half ago…" He gestured at the British royal, adding, "But Derek here is genuinely twenty three years old, if he really is the son of Lucifer and Lilith, how is it that he is alive and so young?"

Derek sighed, closing his eyes, knowing that it was his time to speak about his life and beginnings.

Standing up, Derek fixed his clothes, all eyes trailing him as he walked towards the window, his blues wandering to his mates as they talked amongst each other, sighing again before he uttered, "To understand that, I must tell you my beginnings and how I discovered I was the son of those two…" There were too eager nods, Derek's life was something that had intrigued them all, wondering how he came to be the man he was now, a monster to most, a hero to few, "So listen well because I will not repeat myself…"

* * *

 ** _I was actually born in a tiny English village, just two days before I was left in the local orphanage…_**

The night was cold and windy, some drops of water falling to the ground, the usual harsh English weather, something she was already accustomed to. Right at that moment, it was the middle of the night, probably closer to morning than anything else.

Right in front of a medium-sized building, standing on the cold night while holding a tiny bundle in her arms, there was a coated woman, only her blonde locks being visible as she tightly grasped the small bundle, sobbing, kissing it over and over again.

"My b-beautiful Derek…" The woman whispered, absolutely heartbroken, she has never felt a pain like this in her life, nothing came even close to it, "My beautiful V-Vali…" She thought of the child that was currently with his father, being left somewhere else, far away from the one she was carrying, "I a-am so… so… s-so sorry, my baby…" She clutched the young baby Derek, the boy quiet, not asleep, just staring at his mother with those piercing red eyes, not sad, not confused, just staring, "But w-we have to do this… it's just so u-unfair to you two, to put you i-in this life… where we can n-no longer protect you…" She sobbed even harsher, kissing the boy's forehead over and over again, not wanting to let him go but still knowing that there was no other way, "I a-am sure that… t-that… someone w-will take you in… l-love you… protect you… g-guide you…" It broke her heart to know all the things she was going to miss, for so long had she waited for this moment, the moment where she and Lucifer would be parents, but as if destiny had it against them, the joy lasted for mere minutes before the harsh reality came crashing down on them.

"Hmm…" The baby boy hummed, a very strange look on his tiny face, not looking away from his mother, staring straight at Lilith's blue eyes.

Lilith held him tightly before she reluctantly, with all the pain in the world, placed the little boy inside a basket, covering him tightly with some blankets, making sure he didn't felt the harsh cold of Bourton-on-the-Water, the south central part of England always having such a hard and unforgiving weather.

Kissing him with all her love for the last time, Lilith allowed all her tears to cascade on top of Derek's blankets, her heart screaming at her to grab her baby, to not ever let him and his brother go. But she knew it couldn't be helped, Lucifer no longer had power, she was a mere dhampir, royalty perhaps, but still a weak vampire. Leaving them, taking them to where they will find a new home, far away from the supernatural world, was the best thing they could do as parents.

"P-Please, Derek… f-forgive us…" She whispered, kissing him again before she said, with eyes closed and tightly pressing her face on his tummy, "K-Know that no m-matter what… your p-parents love y-you above anything else… you and your b-brother… d-don't you doubt that… e-ever…" She knew it was useless as Derek was a mere baby, so he wouldn't be able to remember a single thing, but it still help to vent her pain.

Standing up, Lilith gathered all of her strength, knowing that it was still nearly not enough but she had to do what she had to do, as a mother that loved her children above anything else, "P-Please… whoever i-is listening…" She prayed, not knowing to whom, not caring at all, "L-Let me be with my b-boys again… o-one day…" With a heavy heart, not daring to look down at the child she was about to lose, she knocked on the door and with an inhuman effort, she ran away, crying, her tears soaking the pavement while her heart crumbled to pieces. All she could do now, was head to Lucifer as soon as she could so she could bask in his comfort, knowing that while the first Devil was as hurt as she was, he was by far the strongest of the two.

Back at the Orphanage, a sleepy woman opened the door, rubbing the sleep off of her eyes, confused, whispering, "H-Hello?…" She looked around, finding no one, frowning as she thought that perhaps, someone may have played a prank. That is until she heard a small noise from below, her eyes travelling down and widening when she saw a basket with a small bundle in it, the form of a tiny boyish face peaking from within the covers, making her gasp and quickly bend down to pick the baby up, tightly holding him as she whispered, "Dear God… w-who could've left you here like this?…" She was taken aback when the boy opened his eyes, shocked when she saw that his irises were red, crimson, menacing even, "Y-You're… a unique little boy, aren't you?" She didn't cared, thus she smiled and quickly stepped inside, closing the door behind.

From afar, Lilith couldn't help but peak at the corner, her eyes cascading with tears, her heart at the brink of total collapse when Derek was finally gone.

All she could wish at the moment was that one day, she could be reunited with her babies.

* * *

The room was silent, their eyes a little wide as they heard the tale of Derek's abandonment.

Derek for his part, remained staring outside through the window, sighing, reminiscing of his days in the orphanage. He had of course left some parts out of his tale, like Vali, only telling what he considered was necessary. The rest was just himself remembering his upbringing, it has been a while since he actually thought of the past.

Shaking his head, Michael tilted his head, gently saying, "Pardon me…" Derek looked at him over his shoulder, nodding at him to continue, "But, how do know all that? I mean I know you're a Morningstar, there's no question about it, but I still think that you wouldn't be able to be conscious enough on your second day of living, so how do you recall that?"

Sighing as he felt everyone's inquisitive looks, Derek closed his eyes and replied dryly, "All in due time, Archangel…" The leaders all kept their questions to themselves as the son of Satan added, "May I continue?"

Everyone nodded, keeping quiet and eagerly focusing on the story, already entranced by it.

* * *

 ** _It wasn't long before the Hamilton family found me…_**

A young handsome man sighed as he turned off the motor of his car, leaning back on his seat, his green eyes tired for the long drive but quickly rolling towards his wife, smiling lovingly as he saw the beautiful woman fiddling with her fingers, biting her lip as she nervously eyed the orphanage they parked in front of.

"Honey, relax…" The young man said soothingly while he caressed the woman's head, adding reassuringly, "It'll be okay."

The woman was a stunning redhead, her blues trembling in nervousness, watery, whispering as she looked at her husband, "W-What if… w-what if no one likes me?…" She eyed the orphanage, a sad look on her face as she added, "W-What if the reason for w-why I can't have c-children is because I w-will be a horrible mother…"

James Hamilton quickly grabbed Elena's face and forced her to look at him, stopping her breakdown with a loving and reassuring kiss, the Russian woman looking at him with adoring but uncertain eyes, listening as he whispered, "Elena, stop saying all that nonsense…" He cleaned the tears that managed to escape her control, adding with a small smile, "Whoever we pick, I am sure that's going to love you, your infertility has nothing to do with your ability to be a mother, I know you'll be the best mother there is."

Elena just smiled a little at that, her doubts still present but her heart was already pumping with desire, wanting to hold a little baby to call her own, to pamper and love with all her heart.

So the Hamilton couple stepped out of the car, long coats with high collars that served to hide their faces from whoever may be looking at them, with the woman whispering to her husband, "Why did we came all the way here, James?…" She looked back at the orphanage, adding, "We could've gone to an orphanage in London."

James sighed, replying as they walked towards the building, "Yes but someone will snap a picture of us…" He placed an arm around his wife's shoulder, the woman looking at him as he added, "You know that we can't let this be known, if people find out that we can't have children…" He trailed off, knowing that Elena understood what he was implying.

"O-Oh…" Was all Elena whispered as she leaned on her husband, still feeling a little heartbroken by her inability to bear children.

The couple finally reached the door, with James inhaling deeply, his heart as nervous as Elena's but still calmer, managing to gather his wits to bring his hand forward and knock.

It took some moments for someone to answer the door, a good looking middle-aged woman appearing with a tilt of her head, a smile suddenly forming when she recognised the tell-tales of a couple searching for a child, "Good evening, what can we do for you?" She asked with an amicable smile.

James looked at his wife for a second before his greens went back to the woman, nodding as he said, "Good evening… umm… we…" He felt a little awkward, not knowing how to ask for a child.

Giggling, the nurse opened the door, stepping aside as she said, "I understand…" She smiled sweetly at them, adding after they walked into the building, "It's normal to be nervous."

The couple nodded, inhaling before James said to the nurse, "Listen, before we move on, I want you to keep a secret, okay?"

The nurse was weirded out by the request, but her eyes went wide when the married couple lowered their collars and she finally got a good look at their faces. She gasped, able to recognise the face of James Hamilton, one of the Princes of the country, and his beautiful wife at his side, with a sad smile that she immediately recognised.

Gathering her wits, the nurse shook her head and said with a shaky smile, "M-Milord… I… I understand… no one w-will know about this." She knew why they wanted to keep this as a secret, the child they choose would be placed under a lot of scrutiny if it's known that he or she was adopted, it could be too stressful for the child.

After spending some moments discussing, the nurse asking about them and how they behave, all to see if she could find a perfect fit for them, she was interrupted by James who told her that it had to be a young child, no older than a year, as they have hidden Elena for six months, thus they had to make it seem as she was recovering from birth.

"Well…" The nurse started saying, her finger on her lips as she continued, thoughtful, "That leaves us with fi…" She stopped, adding quickly, "Four children."

A little confused, the Hamilton couple just raised their eyebrows but before they could ask about the slip up, the nurse asked them to follow her to the babies' room, nodding at her and quickly falling into step.

"We have some beautiful children here…" The nurse started speaking, looking at them over her shoulder to add, "Two of them siblings, sadly lost their parents in a car accident, while the other one lost her mother to cancer, and the last one lost his parents in a fire…" She sighed sadly, thinking on the last boy she feared they'll see, not because of Derek himself, but because of the usual reactions he got from everyone who saw him, she just wanted to shield the boy from more rejections, "I'm sure you'll fall in love with one of them." She finished with an honest smile, still happy that at least one child, will have a new home today.

What the nurse didn't know though, was that James and Elena were highly trained and skilled magicians, they could read people's aura and they knew that the nurse was nervous about something. There wasn't anything foul in her secret, it was genuine fear but for someone else.

"Here we are." The nurse announced with a smile, gesturing the room beside them.

The couple walked in first, their eyes melting at the sight of four babies playing together, no older than two months, barely able to move on their own, crawling and rolling around as they bit and tossed the toys with them, a young nurse taking care of them.

The young nurse finally realised they had company, looking at the couple with wide eyes, recognising them immediately. But a quick look from her superior made her shut up anything she had to say, only nodding and bowing, saying to the royal members, "W-Welcome."

Elena and James nodded back at her, smiling while their eyes went back to the children, Elena feeling her heart swell as she observed them playing.

"They are John, Harry, Mary and Violet…" The lead nurse announced their names, adding with a smile, "You can get close to them if you want."

James and Elena smiled and nodded, taking some tentative steps towards the babies until a small noise made them stop.

The adults in the room froze as they looked towards the far said of the nursery, the lead nurse panicking when she saw a small baby in the corner, his back on them as he silently tossed around a small rubber ball, not looking at anywhere else other than the wall, seemingly oblivious to the world around him.

"W-What…" Elena whispered, her heart feeling incredibly attracted to the baby, saying as she looked at the lead nurse, "D-Didn't you said you only had four babies?"

Feeling the suspicious looks from the two royals, the lead nurse and her aide sighed sadly, with the middle-aged woman saying timidly with her eyes down, "I a-apologise… it's not that we're hiding him… it's just…" She looked at little Derek, his signature silver hair already long, shining against the light, captivating, "We don't want him to see more rejections…"

James and Elena felt very confused by those words, feeling the honesty in the woman, seeing her genuine worry, clearly caring for the small child, "What do you mean?" James asked, he and his wife turning to look back at the boy, their eyes widening when they finally noted the colour of his hair.

"His hair?" Elena whispered, finding the rarity on his colour but still, she thought it too little to reject a child for.

"N-Not just his hair colour…" The young nurse whispered, looking down to the ground.

Something made Elena walk towards the baby, tentative steps as the adults in the room froze, looking at the redhead making her way towards him.

"H-Hey…" Elena whispered, a loving smile on her face while she slowly made to reach to boy, the baby still ignoring her. She didn't cared though, her hand finally reached his shoulder and tenderly, she turned him around, whispering, "It's okay… I just want t… _gasp…_ " She gasped while her eyes widened, leaning back in shock as she finally saw the boy's face. It was beautiful, like carved by the finest sculptor, but his eyes, they were equally beautiful and terrifying. Crimson red. As red and deep as blood.

James was also shocked by those eyes, the hair could be overlooked easily, but his eyes, they were too mesmerising, too deep, too supernatural. It didn't took the Hamilton marriage long to figure out, to feel, that the baby was not a human, at least not entirely.

Feeling a pang in her heart when once again another couple recoiled at the boy's eyes, the lead nurse saw how her aide quickly ran towards Derek and picked him up, the baby looking at Elena with an expressionless look, as if already used to the reactions, something that broke her heart.

"I a-apologise…" The young nurse quickly said, making to walk away with Derek while she added hastily, "W-We'll leave you to it…"

It was then that James and Elena finally came back to their senses, wincing as they realised why the nurses were worried that they saw the child, for reactions such as theirs. It made them a little ashamed of themselves.

"W-Wait!…" Elena screamed, sounding almost desperate, standing up as she added, tentatively walking towards the young nurse who tightly held Derek, almost hiding him from them, "I-I'm sorry… I was just…"

"Milady, milord…" The voice of the lead nurse attracted their attention, the middle-aged woman saying with a sad look but still sternly, "Please, I humbly ask that you let Mina take Derek away…" She looked at the boy who so far hasn't even moved or made a noise, quietly staring at the scene, "He's… h-he's already been rejected enough…"

Feeling even worse at their reaction, the couple stared at the baby in the nurse's arms, feeling absolutely fascinated by how calm and serene he was, but it also made them see the coldness in his reds, it was clear that many people had come and reacted like them when they saw him. He might be a baby, but they can still feel the rejection, if the boy was something special, then he surely felt it clearly.

"We understand…" James said, inhaling, looking at his wife who walked towards him, both holding hands and eyeing the two nurses, the man saying with utmost honesty, "Please, don't misunderstand our reactions, we were just surprised, that is all."

The head nurse saw how Elena seemed eager to hold the baby, so she took it from the young nurse's arms and said as she eyed the little boy with a caring smile, "I-It's alright, it's just that… there have been a few couples who rejected Derek the moment they saw his eyes…" She caressed the little boy's head, Derek looking at her with those calculating eyes that shouldn't belong to a new-born, "Even the one couple that managed to see beyond his eyes, they ended up frightened by his demeanour… so they rejected him as well…" She held the boy tightly, wishing she could keep him and raise him. But she didn't had the means to care for a child, and she wasn't too sure how to take care of him while also taking care of the other children.

Looking at his wife, who was biting her lip, almost desperate to hold the little boy, James looked back at the nurse and inquired, "Demeanour?"

The young nurse was the one that explained as she replied, a small sad smile while she stared at Derek, "He's definitely a unique baby…" Focusing on the couple, she continued, "He never cries, never whines, rarely makes a sound, never plays with the other kids…" She looked at the toddlers, blissfully playing between each other, "The only times he makes a noise, is when he's done his business or he's hungry… the rest of the day, he just sits on his corner and plays with whatever toy he has at hand, quietly and away of everybody else."

There was a silence after that, James nodding at those words, able to understand why that behaviour could scare wannabe-parents. Usually children were loud, messy and full of energy, but just by glancing at the boy in the head nurse's arms, it was easy to tell that Derek was very different, quiet and collected, almost too mature for someone of his age.

"C-Can I…" Elena whispered, tentatively walking towards the nurses, her eyes teary, lips trembling as she added with utmost sincerity and desire, "Can I h-hold him?"

The head nurse definitely seemed reluctant, not knowing whether to trust them or not. But somehow feeling the sincerity coming from the woman and her husband, she nodded, whispering with a weak smile, "Okay."

Elena smiled as the head nurse passed the little boy gently to her, the Russian woman grabbing the boy by his sides, looking at him with adoring eyes, whispering as she held him before her, "H-Hey little one… I-I'm…" She struggled for a moment, closing her eyes and bringing him to her chest, whispering when she rested her head on top of his, "I'm sorry for b-being surprised, you are a beautiful little boy."

Derek didn't even blinked, only staring at the side as Elena caressed and nuzzled him. But he slowly closed his eyes, yawning, steadily falling asleep at the sound of Elena's voice.

Elena could only cry with joy as she felt the boy going asleep on her bosom, his tiny fists grabbing her shirt, his breathing steadying while a soft snoring was heard from him. The Russian woman looked at her husband, whispering with a wide happy smile, "J-James…"

James smiled at his wife, understanding her message, himself feeling the connection with the young boy, "I think we found our son." He said as he looked at the nurses.

The two women were shocked, their eyes wide and mouths agape. They had stopped believing that someone might actually want to take him, but it appears that their prayers have been answered.

The head nurse was still a little doubtful though, stating, "A-Are you sure, milord?…" She eyed the sleeping boy, a surprising thing since he has never fallen asleep on somebody's arms. It was clear that the boy enjoyed Elena's warmth, "I wouldn't w-want him to suffer anymore…" She still added, dreading that they might be back in a couple of days returning him.

James walked towards Elena, smiling at the baby and gently caressing the top of his head, listening as his wife lovingly cooed Derek. The Hamilton then turned towards the nurses, nodding and saying with utmost sincerity, "I understand you, but there is no need to be afraid…" He looked back at his wife and soon to be new son, whispering with a loving smile, "I will do everything in my power to protect him and raise him well…" He and Elena looked at the nurses, smiles on their faces, holding each other's hands before James finished, "We promise you."

The head nurse sighed deeply, looking at her aide before smiling, completely sure that the royal couple was being honest. It was impossible to fake the adoring way in which they looked at Derek. It appears that definitely, her prayers were finally answered.

"Alright then…" She finally said, earning wide smiles from the soon to be parents, listening as she added, "Then let's go and get everything ready, I presume you want to take Derek to his new home as soon as possible."

The two Hamilton smiled and nodded, eager to take their boy with them and start getting to know him. He was certainly a special one but now, he was their special little boy.

* * *

Derek remained looking at the distance, as if reminiscing the day he met his adoptive parents. It was a little weird for him to be able to remember, he was merely five months old at that moment, but while he couldn't remember everything vividly, he still could piece some moments, the one in which he fell asleep on Elena's arms was the most vivid one, as despite what he showed, he was genuinely close to his human mother.

"So James' wife couldn't bear any children?…" Azazel asked while massaging his chin, he didn't had many contact with the beautiful woman, but with her husband, Azazel was somewhat friendly. Jonathan had always groomed his youngest son to take up the spot for him, so James was usually around whenever there was a high-ranking meeting between leaders, similar to what Derek is now, "That's why they adopted you."

Derek nodded, sighing before he walked towards his chair, sitting and saying after, "Yes…" He leaned back, adding with eyes closed, "That and because they could feel power within me, so as part of the royal family, it was their duty to ensure the country's safety…" He massaged his scruff, finishing with a somewhat wistful tone, "But they took good care of me, like a real son."

While the conversation was not touching any of the pressing matters at the moment, everyone was eager to hear about his upbringing. There was no one in the world quite like him, to get to know how he came to be, what pushed him to be the man he was now, was as important as what happened to Lucifer and Lilith. Understanding the boy's mentality, meant that they could grasp a direction to where he wanted to go.

"But how did they managed to hide your real eyes?…" Serafall muttered, tilting her head and once everyone's eyes were on her, she added, "I have seen some pictures of you when you were young…" She blushed, not wanting to explain why she saw those pictures, "Y-You had blue eyes then."

Derek just raised an eyebrow, scoffing before he nodded, replying, "Yeah, that was James…" At their raised eyebrows, he reminded them, "He might not have been one of the best, but he was still a powerful magician."

There were some nods after that, remembering the courageous heir of the Hamilton family. He was a very skilled attacking magician, highly proficient in destructive magic, especially fire spells.

"An incantation then." Sirzechs muttered, earning a nod from the Morningstar youngster.

"Yeah…" Derek muttered, scratching his short beard before he sighed deeply, looking at the window as he spoke again, "But even so, I still knew I was different."

Eyes dazed at those words, with Yasaka asking gently, capable to feel the small sense of sadness coming from Derek, almost shocking her off her feet since she's never felt any emotion coming from him, "H-How so?"

Derek looked at the blonde yōkai, closing his eyes as he responded, "While I wasn't too conscious when James casted the incantation on my eyes, it wore off once in a while, there were times I managed to see them…" He leaned back, throwing his head back on the chair's rest while continuing, "I was also strong, unnaturally strong, I even destroyed a wall when I was four years old…" He looked back at the leaders, narrowing his eyes as he said, "But the real eye opener, came when a miracle happened to Elena."

It was Natalia the one that said, her eyes slightly wide, "Your sister…"

Derek nodded, snorting at the memory of Alice, his most precious treasure, "Though, my grandfather believes that I'm the responsible for Elena's pregnancy."

"Your Morningstar aura?" Michael inquired, highly fascinated when Derek nodded. It was known that simply being around a Morningstar could bring many miracles, or horrors, due to their divinity and fact that their blood fathered their species.

"Lucifer did placed powerful seals on me so that I wouldn't become a beacon, he locked my Elder Blood's energy well, but even then, it was impossible to contain it all at all times…" He scratched his scruff, "Since Elena was the one that was around me the most, she was the most affected by it."

"That's why Rias was unaffected by Balor View, right?…" Sirzechs commented, sighing when Derek nodded, muttering, "She already carries a lot of your… umm… _essence…_ " He blushed, feeling irritated as the other leaders chuckled at his exasperation, only now understanding that since Rias was clearly periodically subjected to his presence, more specifically his sperm, her body had absorbed some of the Morningstar attributes, thus she was no longer 'just' a noble devil, "She has become something more."

"In a way, yes…" Derek replied, looking back at Akio who felt confused when he pointed at her, stating, "Feel Akio's aura for example, you'll notice that there's a draconic scent within her natural signature…" The leaders did as told, with Akio blushing as she understood what her Boss was letting them all know, "Her aura's colour is also different, humans have a blue aura, but Akio's is blue with a greyish hue."

"The Morningstar aura is silver." Azazel whispered to himself as he nodded, looking at Akio's aura, now understanding why the women closest to Derek felt different, more powerful than a normal member of their species.

"Correct…" Derek said with eyes closed, nodding a little before he opened his eyes again and continued, "Now, going back to the main topic, when Alice was born, the fact that I was different was more noticeable than ever…" He sighed, his eyes fogging again, going back to those days, "The servants in the manor, our family's friends, acquaintances, visitors, even the family themselves, they all loved Alice…" And he couldn't blame them, she was the total opposite of him, the sun to his moon, "But they all feared me."

Slowly, understanding dawned on them. The reason why he was so cold, so detached and seemingly uninterested in those around him, was because even someone such as him, a royal, was shunned by his own people. There was still so much more than that for sure, they knew it, as his coldness went beyond that, but it was clearly one of the main reasons for it.

"Don't get me wrong…" Derek's voice gathered everyone's attention, the silver-haired male leaning back on his chair as he continued, "I was not jealous of her, all the contrary, the moment she was born… I…" He struggled for a moment, narrowing his eyes as he whispered, almost to make sure nobody heard him, "She became the most precious thing in my life… still is…" He closed his eyes, muttering lowly, "So as I slowly realised that I was different, I was afraid that I may drag or bring something on Alice… thus… I ran away…" Their eyes widened at that, Derek looking back at the leaders as he commented, leaning on the table with his elbows, "It was also then, that I confirmed my suspicions…"

* * *

 ** _After all, what four year old could kill three thugs in a second?…_**

As usual, it was a cold rainy night in London, right in the middle of the night, past eleven pm. In a lonely and dark park right in the middle of London's borough Islington, a small boy sat on a bench. Despite the harsh cold, the boy was not shivering, nor showing any signs of distress.

The boy's eyes were aimed at the floor, drops of water hitting him constantly, his hair, clothes and body already too wet, risking a cold. Beside him, there was a backpack, stuffed with basic items like food, some health products and a couple of Coca Colas.

As he sensed a car passing by the street, little Derek looked up and cursed under his breath when he realised that it was the police, the blue lights of the siren illuminating the surroundings, the cops clearly looking for someone.

"Damn… I should've known mother would realise I'm gone." Derek muttered before he quickly hid behind a tree, waiting for the police to leave the area so he could run towards the opposite direction.

Waiting until the right moment, Derek peaked around the tree and when he saw the police car gone, he held the straps of his backpack and made a dash towards the opposite side of the park, keeping his eyes on his surrounding to ensure that nobody saw the royal son on his own.

Derek ran and ran for a good half an hour, only stopping when he lost his breath, finding some shelter from the worsening rain right below a store's tent, his breath ragged while he pressed his back on the wet crystal of the store, sliding down until his butt touched the ground.

He heard his stomach growl, demanding food, but he only grit his teeth while he aimed his gaze down, holding back his emotions. He needed to be careful with the little supplies he had since he had no clue how long would it take him to find some stability, he didn't even knew where he was heading to. All he knew was that he was a danger to his family, his little sister specially, so to protect them, he had to run away and maybe when he had control of whatever it made him different, he could watch over them from afar.

" _=Oh and he scores!=_ " The noise of a TV drew Derek's attention to his back, his eyes going up until they settled on the television behind the crystal, his eyes transfixed by what he was seeing, " _=What an absolute beauty from Andriy Shevchenko! A marvellous play between Pirlo and Ambrosini that ended with the lucky touch of the Ukrainian! And Milan's winning it two nil now!=_ "

Young Derek couldn't help but stare at the telly, his eyes wide and mouth agape as he felt absolutely marvelled by the sport being shown. Every touch, every run, every movement, he could see their intent. His mind might be a little childish, but he had an uncanny ability for strategies and he could see that the players weren't running around like a bunch of fools hoping for the best. Every men had a purpose, every play a goal, it absolutely marvelled him.

Derek only continued staring at the telly, fixing his posture on the ground to face the TV and opening his backpack without looking away from the screen, he grabbed an apple and took it to his mouth, to quell his hunger for the moment.

He stayed there for at the very least half an hour, absolutely transfixed by the game, all of his pains, sorrows and confusions being swept away by the delicacy and elegance of the professional football players.

But his fun was interrupted when a large man stepped in between him and the telly, a malicious smirk plastered on his face as he said, "What the hell, brat, are you lost?"

Derek looked at his sides when he sensed two more people, looking at a man and a woman who observed him with cruel grins, the male playing with a knife, tossing it on the air, menacingly close to the boy.

"What a weird hair you have there, kid." The woman commented while leaning down and harshly pulling the boy's hair, earning a growl from Derek.

"Hahaha…" The one with the knife laughed loudly at the growl, commenting mockingly, "The kid has spunk, I'll giv'im that!"

The one in front of Derek laughed as well, apparently being the leader. He bent down and headed straight for the backpack, turning it around and letting all the contents fall to the ground, smirking as he said mockingly, "Hmm… are you running away from home?"

The other two laughed, with the woman adding, "What is it, runt? Did mommy forbade you to watch the late night cartoons?"

The three thugs laughed loudly after that, with Derek only staring at the ground, feeling a hot rush of adrenaline coursing within him, barely able to keep himself calm.

The thugs stopped laughing when at the distance, they heard the sound of a car, so as he cursed under his breath, the lead man grabbed Derek by the shoulders and lifted him up, pushing him towards a nearby ally and holding him close as he and his gang hid on the shadows, the car passing by without a clue of what was happening.

Once the danger was gone, the lead thug threw Derek to the floor, smirking evilly while the other male inquired, "What do we do with him, Hugh?"

The now identified Hugh crossed his arms, a malicious smirk on his face while he hummed thoughtfully, looking at Derek who remained down on the ground, only staring at the floor, "He seems to be expensive…" He pointed at the clothes the kid was wearing, which were clearly high quality, "I'm sure his parents will spill the quid for him."

At the mention of his parents, Derek growled again, but this time there was something disgustingly foul coming off from him, enough to make the thugs shiver while their eyes widened as a sudden thick red and grey smoke started oozing off of him, the boy's quiet but absolutely demonic voice saying, **"Leave… me…"**

As he slowly stood up, the thugs had no clue what was happening to them, they couldn't move an inch, frozen by a horrific feeling of despair and terror, with the woman managing to whisper desperately, "W-W-What the bloody hell a-are ye!?"

Derek only gave them his back for a second before he looked at them over his shoulder, making them pee their pans at the sight of those terrifying crimson glowing eyes, a horrific sound as he finished his earlier sentence, **"Alone!"**

From a distance, all that was heard was the screams of the three thugs, but just for a couple of seconds, silence falling onto London once again as if nothing had ever happened.

* * *

Not too far away from Islington, an expensive black car was making desperate rounds throughout the city, two horrified adults being inside the car, their eyes roaming around them, desperately searching for their beloved son.

"Elena, relax…" James tried to comfort his wife, placing a hand on her thigh while his eyes still looked at the front, adding with as much reassurance as he could muster, despite being as anxious as her, "We'll find him, don't worry."

The beautiful redhead beside him just looked at him with red puffy eyes, trembling as she practically screamed, "How can I b-be calm right now, James!?…" She looked to the side, through her window, her hands on her heart, devastated, "My baby is out there, somewhere! Alone, hungry, cold! He could be scared! Or i-in danger!… o-or… o-or…"

Right before she could continue her rant, they both froze as they suddenly sensed a powerful spike of power coming from somewhere near them, their trained eyes managing to catch the sound of horrified screams.

James hit the gas the moment he recognised the aura, the black Bentley roaring as the Hamilton heir steered it towards where he knew his son was.

It didn't took them long to reach the origin of the spike. It might have been for just a second, but as his parents, they were able to immediately recognise Derek's aura.

Just after James stopped the car, Elena quickly stepped out of the vehicle, James quickly doing so as well, "Derek!…" Elena screamed, desperate to have her son with her again, "Honey, where are you!?" She screamed again.

"Elena!" James' voice drew the Russian's attention, looking at her husband who pointed towards a store on the opposite street.

Her eyes widened when she saw the mess on the ground, recognising Derek's backpack.

The two parents quickly headed there, frantically looking around with Elena screaming again, "Derek!"

As he looked around, once the adrenaline wore off for a moment, the heavy scent of iron hit James' nostril, a foul smell of putrid meat making him frown as he tried to search for the scent's origins.

The Hamilton's eyes widened while a wave of horror reached his heart as he saw a large pool of blood slowly flowing towards the street from an alley. Making a run, hoping to every god that the blood belonged to anyone but his son.

Elena heard her husband running so she turned towards him, looking at him worriedly when she saw him froze on his step, his eyes wide while he looked straight at an alley, "J-James?…" She asked afraid, standing up and walking towards him, looking down at the floor when she felt her feet stepping on something wet, "Darling w-what…" She started asking once she reached him but as soon as she turned towards the alley, her heart stopped when she saw the horrific seen before her.

Inside the alley, their son was standing there, frozen, looking at the front with a horrible dry expression. Finding him would've filled their hearts with relief, but Derek was standing right above a huge pool of blood, the red liquid covering him almost head to toe, blood dripping from his fingers and mouth, his eyes deep red, demonic.

The blood didn't belonged to him though, it belong to the, what James and Elena assumed to once had been humans, pieces of meat in front of Derek. The only word that could describe the state in which the bodies were in, was a butchering.

"What…" Derek's soft and cold voice drew the Hamilton marriage's attention towards their son, their hearts breaking when they saw him standing there, no expression as he added, "What am I?"

"O-Oh baby!" Elena couldn't take it anymore, so she ran towards the silverette, tightly holding him, her tears cascading over him, not caring for dirtying herself with the blood, only holding her boy close to her, not ever wanting to let go of him again.

James shook his head and made his way towards his wife and son, holding them both tightly, his head resting on top of Elena's while he whispered, not willing to look at the carnage next to them, "Our son…" He tightened his grip on his family, feeling Elena nodding at his words, with him adding a whisper, "That's what you are, Derek."

Derek said nothing.

* * *

There was a silence after Derek finished telling his story, the leaders feeling shocked as they learnt the age in which the son of Satan had killed for the first time. Worse was the way in which he did so, as he explained, in gory detail, the deaths of the thugs and how it exhilarated him. But that was mostly due to his draconic blood, as dragons are known to essentially get off of violence.

"Umm…" Yasaka mumbled, stunned, not knowing what to say. She couldn't help but feel a shiver running down her spine as Derek spoke, it was both so arousing and terrifying at the same, she couldn't explain it. But knowing a little bit about his past, it made her more drawn to him, relieved to know that he became what he is, mostly due to circumstances, not because he really wanted to.

"That was the first time I realised that I was really different, very different…" Derek started speaking again, the people in the room shaking their dizziness in order to listen well what the Hamilton had to say, "Elena and James made sure to pay more attention to me, Elena became very attached to me, not leaving me or Alice out of her sight if she could help it…" He sighed, looking up, the leaders managing to realise that he was almost searching for his human parents, up there in Heaven where they surely were, "The Royal family also became more attached to me, seems like I scared them bad…" He looked back at the leaders, finalising his thought, "They still feared me, but now they also cared for me… but even so, the fact that I knew I was different was already there… and it never left my mind." He looked at his palm before he balled it, narrowing his blue eyes at his fist.

Letting some moments go by in silence, Azazel cleared his throat, wanting to ask what everybody wanted to know, "So…" Once the British male looked at him, the Governor continued, "How did you realised you were the son of Lucifer?"

Derek sighed, closing his eyes as he responded, "The day I destroyed Somalia…" Their eyes widened, Gabriel feeling a pang in her heart as she remembered the event that drew her to the man, "It was the day I met Vali as well, and he was the one that led me to the truth…"

The leaders leaned on, their eyes wide as they prepared their ears for the fantastic tale that was sure to come.

* * *

 ** _Hadn't been for Vali and his team, most of you along with the planet would probably be gone by now…_**

There was an incredible foul smell as he stepped out of Kuroka's magic portal, his nose immediately assaulted by such a strong smell of death that even he gagged, the rest of his team incapable of holding their stomachs and throwing up what they just ate.

"Damn…" Kuroka muttered, her stomach twisted while a heavy frown adorned her face, "What the hell, I have never smell such strong… s-scent…" She trailed off, her eyes wide in shock as she finally observed their surroundings.

Even Vali felt incredibly disturbed by the scene in front of them. He has seen some shit, but this, "This one takes the cake…" He whispered to himself, feeling Kuroka, Bikō and Arthur stepping beside him, absolutely terrified by the scene.

"What the hell is your cousin, Arthur?" Bikō whispered, stunned, his eyes roaming the thousands, no, millions of dead bodies that covered the soil. There was no end to them, wherever you looked at, there were bodies, blood and ashes. The red skies over the African country of Somalia, accentuating the darkness of the atmosphere.

Despite already knowing how truly capable his cousin was, Arthur was absolutely speechless, "Can we stop him?" The knight of the British royal family asked his leader, at the distance, a terrifying roar accompanied by a small earthquake.

"We can try…" Vali said, while inside terrified, he was feeling a certain power within his eternal rival, one that matched his. But keeping his suspicions to himself, he looked at the Hamilton in his team and added, "But your grandfather is going to owe us, big time."

"Is either that or let at least half of the world perish with him…" Kuroka added, her eyes fixated to the distance, saying with a low voice, "I don't think we have much choice either way."

Her statement was received with nods, even from Vali. While his rival was most definitely crazed by the raw power of the Red Dragon Emperor, he could feel that the man had reached a perfect juggernaut state, meaning that he was about to face off against an authentic Heavenly Dragon.

It brought a smile to his face.

"Let's go." Vali muttered and with that, Kuroka used her power to create a travelling plate, the four members of Team Vali stepping into the magical construct and with that, Kuroka took them towards the origin of the horror.

It was something that may anger Vali, but even he had to admit that just like the rest of his comrades, he refused to look down. It twisted their stomach to know that someone that was supposed to be their age, had just annihilated an entire country, millions of people have died on his rampage and the Red One was not going to stop until someone stopped him.

As they steadily approached the location of their target, Vali narrowed his eyes at the distance, his arms no longer relaxed but instead, at his sides, ready for anything at any moment, "Get ready…" He ordered, his teammates nodding as he continued, "He should be able to sense us s…"

"SHIT!" Kuroka screamed before she immediately dissolved the magic that was transporting them, falling towards the ground just in time to avoid a huge and powerful blast of energy that passed by them with just millimetres of difference, still unable to avoid its shockwave and thus, they crashed on the ground with loud thuds.

The blast hit some kilometres away from them, on one of the last standing buildings, a gigantic blast ensuing that sent a shockwave of air at them, forcing them to close their eyes to avoid the dust.

"Dammit…" Bikō muttered, gulping, a shiver running down his spine as he whispered, "There's no way he's already on us…"

Just as the monkey yōkai finished his thought, behind them, there was a loud crash followed by a tremor, making them turn their head behind quickly, their eyes widening when they saw the absolutely massive form of the Red Dragon Emperor.

 **"GRAGH!"** The Juggernaut form of Derek Hamilton roared with tremendous power, forcing Kuroka to create a barrier so that they wouldn't be sent flying by the power of his roar alone.

"Shit!" Arthur declared before he and the rest of Team Vali jumped away from each other, just in time to avoid the gigantic leg of the enraged dragon as it crashed down where they once stood.

"Vali, what do we do!?" Kuroka screamed, unable to stop the immense feeling of dread within her heart. She has faced evil people before, her master one of the foulest and creepiest foes she's encountered. But absolutely nothing came close to facing off against the Red Dragon Emperor in all of his unrestrained glory. She knew well that if Vali didn't went into Juggernaut Drive, they were as good as dead.

"Damn…" Vali muttered, jumping to avoid Derek's tail that swept the ground with tremendous speed, the bodies of the dead Somalis along with the remaining rubble shooting up by the force, making it even more difficult to avoid damage, "Albion, what do you think!?" He had to rely on his partner for this one, he was way out of his league right now. It pissed him off badly.

 **"Right now…"** Albion's voice reverberated through the field, knowing that while it would usually piss Ddraig off to hear him again, his red counterpart was already too far gone into his rage to even care, **"Your only bet is to calm Ddraig's champion's rage."**

"Fuck…" Vali muttered when he had to activate his armour to propel himself away from his rival's fire breath, feeling the scorching heat even from above, his voice sounding again, "And how the hell do we calm an enraged Heavenly Dragon down!?" It infuriated him that he had to do it that way, but he wasn't stupid, he knew that even if he went Juggernaut too, he wouldn't be a match for his rival, he'd have to lose himself in Albion's rage to match Ddraig, but that would also mean his death. And he still wanted to live for a couple of hundred years, thank you.

As he and his team dodged attack after attack from Derek, Albion was thinking inside Vali's mind, trying to come up with a solution, **"It may be the only thing we got…"** Albion's voice won Vali's attention, listening as the White Dragon Emperor said, **"A song…"** Vali's eyes widened, Albion continuing, **"Songs have always served to quell our rage, have the cat sing a song while using her magic to boost her voice, it should be enough to keep his attention on her while you divide his power."**

"Dammit…" Vali cursed, seeing how Kuroka's ears twitched, meaning that she heard their conversation, "Is there a song for Ddraig?" He asked then, firing a shot filled with his power towards his rival, cursing when the attack didn't even left a mark on Derek's thick red scales.

 **"Not that I know of…"** Albion said, making Vali curse again but the white dragon in his body continued, **"But she just needs to sing a melodic and peaceful song, all we want is to stop his rage, her voice with a peaceful song should be enough to keep him calm enough for you to act."**

Vali could only nod, looking at Kuroka to scream, "You heard that, right Kuroka?…" The nekoshō woman nodded, albeit reluctantly, a blush on her cheeks since while she in fact loved singing, it embarrassed her beyond belief to do so in front of her comrades, more so in such circumstances, "Me, Arthur and Bikō will buy you time to think of a song, just be quick!" He nodded at the males of his team and immediately got to work, hoping that his female comrade acts quickly, otherwise they'll be dragon's food sooner than later.

Kuroka cursed under her breath before she jumped away from the fight, quickly running towards one of the destroyed building and taking cover behind one of the remaining standing walls, sliding down to the floor with her back pressed against the cement, muttering, "Why do I have to sing, dammit!?…" She complained, embarrassed. But a powerful tremor and a terrifying roar made her swallow her embarrassment, knowing that she had to do, what she had to do, "But what song?… I don't know any that could work…" She rambled, her brain blank, no ideas until a memory suddenly hit her.

 _Flashback_

 _"Big Sister?…" A tiny white-haired little girl whispered as she cocooned herself with the covers of her bed, her big sister humming at her to continue, "Where did you heard that song?" Little Shirone asked with kitten eyes, completely in love with the song Kuroka just sang so she could go to sleep._

 _Kuroka smiled at her five year old sister, petting her gently, the rain outside of their shack smacking hard the pathetic branch roof she had constructed, the only thing she had to make a shelter for them, "I heard it from father…" Koneko's yellow eyes widened, stars appearing in them, even more in love with the song as the blackette continued, "He sang it to me once, he said that mother composed it for him…" She tucked Koneko with the cloth that served as blanket, smiling slightly as she finished, "It was a sign of their love, a song you should only sing to someone you truly care about."_

 _Shirone smiled at that, her mind drifting to a world where her parents were still alive, living with her sister and family on a cosy house in Kyoto._

 _Just as Shirone's eyes slowly closed, the white nekoshō falling into sleep's arms, Kuroka heard something that made her heart flutter, "One day… I will sing it to Big Sister…"_

 _Kuroka felt a tear falling from her eye, kissing her sister's forehead before she whispered, "Thank you, Shirone."_

 _End Flashback_

"Get back in the game, Kuroka…" The black cat reminded herself as she shook her head, keeping her sadness and emotions to herself, focusing back on the now, "I'm sorry father…" She whispered, standing up and making towards the dragon, looking up at the sky for a second to say, "But I'm gonna have to sing it now."

Vali observed as Kuroka walked out of her hiding place, the busty female jumping to stand behind the raging dragon who was currently trying to squash Arthur and Bikō, the nekoshō taking a long deep breath before she opened her eyes and nodded at Vali.

"Bikō, Arthur!…" Vali screamed, the two males looking at the White Dragon Emperor out of the corner of their eyes as he said, "Get ready!" They looked at Kuroka and nodded, prepared to try and subdue the red dragon while she sang.

Kuroka licked her lips, controlling her heart while she closed her eyes, whispering, "Here we go…" She opened her eyes then, her beautiful yellow orbs staring at the back of the terrifying dragon, gulping before she coated her throat with some of her magic and after an inhale, she sang.

" _When April bends above me…"_ Kuroka's angelic voice filled the whole space, the woman continuing her song, " _And finds me fast asleep…_ "

The red dragon twitched his ears as a melodic soothing sound reached him, slowly turning his head behind.

Kuroka didn't let the fear of the dragon turning his attention to her get her, she instead kept going, " _Dust need not keep the secret…_ " She brought a hand to her chest, continuing, " _A live heart died to keep…"_

Derek thrashed a little, still trying to quash the insects he felt in front of him. But within the enraged dragon's mind, the angelic voice was alluring, enough to send small sparks of electricity to the conscious of Ddraig's champion.

" _When April tells the thrushes… The meadow-larks will now…_ " She inwardly winced when Vali was hit by the dragon's tail, but realising that her leader was fine, she sang, " _And pipe the three words lightly… To all the winds that blow…_ "

Vali felt relieved when he saw his rival's eyes dazing, the gigantic dragon shaking his head, as if trying to get rid of the spell Kuroka was placing on him.

" _Above his roof the swallows…"_ She stepped closer to the dragon, seeing him shaking his body while moaning in what it seemed to be pain, _"In notes like far-blown rain…_ " She strangely didn't felt fear when the dragon slowly turned to face her fully, her eyes immediately locking to the beast's terrifying greens, feeling something so strange in her heart as she continued, " _Will tell the little sparrow… Beside his window-pane…"_

She saw, out of the corner of her eye, how Vali and the rest were about to try and restrain the dragon that was now turning to fully face her. But something made her raise her palm at her team, silently telling them to stop, to not arouse any more anger from the beast.

" _O sparrow, little sparrow…_ " She walked towards the dragon, who looked at her in a daze, his roar now low, pained, his eyes glassy, his body shaking but without taking his eyes away from her, " _When I am fast asleep…_ "

Vali, Arthur and Bikō were absolutely fascinated when Kuroka and Derek were now face to snout, the dragon clearly in pain but what shocked the most, was when Kuroka, as if mystified, placed a palm on the dragon's snout, Derek surprisingly letting her do so, as if finding comfort in her. The White Dragon Emperor didn't wasted time though, so he quickly started dividing his rival's power, as sneakily as he could so that the enraged creature won't feel attacked.

Kuroka had no idea what drove her to get rid of the distance with the dragon, but something in those beautiful eyes attracted her like nothing else ever before, she felt as if a connection had always been there, as if there was a red string attached to her heart and Ddraig's champion.

" _Then tell my love the secret…"_ She was now whispering, as if singing only for him and no one else, her forehead now pressed against his snout, feeling how slowly, the dragon's size was shrinking, the human within that rage resurfacing at her voice and touch, her eyes closed while she had her two hands gently cupping his face, whispering the last of the song, " _That I have died to keep."_

There was absolute silence as the three male members of Vali's team stood dumbfounded at the distance, observing as Derek Hamilton resurfaced, fully naked, exhausted, his skin red, burning, clearly in excruciating pain. But the most mesmerising thing however, was how he fell onto Kuroka's waiting arms, the nekoshō, as in a spell herself, tightly holding the naked man to her chest, resting her chin on top of his head, caressing him with a lover's touch.

 **"Amazing…"** Albion's quiet voice drew the males' attention.

"What is it, Albion?" Vali asked, his eyes still locked to the, impossibly to deny, lovely scene.

 **"You just witnessed a bonding…"** Their eyes widened as they heard Albion say, shocked, knowing that regardless of how cold and uncaring one was, witnessing a dragon bonding was something of untold value, a sight that will forever be brandished in their minds as the meaning of a true bond, **"I never thought I'd see it again… but those two have definitely bonded…"**

Vali could feel the small glint of jealousy in Albion's words, not because of Kuroka, but for the fact that he had never really found a true mate.

"Let's go…" Vali then said, keeping those thoughts for later, looking at his teammates to add, "There's something about your cousin, Arthur… something that I need to clear out…"

* * *

 _A man…_

 _That's what you ought to be, Derek…_

 _And what makes a real man?…_

His eyes opened slowly, the light rays hitting him on the side of his face, making him turn to the opposite direction. But the movement made him realise how truly pained his body was, as he felt an excruciating sore assaulting him, mainly on his spine.

"F-Fuck…" The British male whispered as he tried to get a grasp of his internal damage, having a vague memory of what drove him to this point, _"Ddraig… you there?"_ He tried contacting his partner.

 ** _"Yeah."_** Ddraig's reply came after a few seconds, the mighty dragon's voice sounding as strained and tired as Derek's.

He closed his eyes, leaning his head back, realising that he was on a bed. His senses also warned him of two presences close to him, one too close to his liking, _"Are they hostiles?"_ He asked Ddraig, knowing that at the moment, the original Red Dragon Emperor has been awake longer than he had.

 ** _"No…"_** Ddraig's reply made him relax, if just slightly, the dragon adding, **_"They're the people that stopped your rampage… Albion's champion…"_** Derek felt wary, but somewhat calmed again when Ddraig continued, **_"That swordsman cousin of yours… a monkey yōkai… and…"_** Derek raised an invisible eyebrow as he sensed Ddraig's sudden reluctance, or amusement, it was hard to tell, but the dragon's last sentence, was certainly not one he expected, **_"Your new mate._ "**

Opening his eyes again, he tentatively looked towards where the closest living signature was, right beside the bed he was resting on, a beautiful black-haired woman with a dress that left a lot of her skin uncovered, a pair of black cat ears and two tails that made him know of her nekomata origin, the feline features signalling the woman's fear or distress. She was currently sitting on a chair, her head plastered on the side next to him, her hand holding his tightly, as if afraid to let him go.

He kept all the questions to himself for the moment, since he knew there was another person in the room, awake as him, "I guess you're the guy that Arthur's been following around…" His voice was low, not wanting to wake the yōkai up right now, but his eyes went to the figure standing in front of a window, his eyes widening slightly when the moment he locked his visors to the male, he found an almost exact copy of himself, saying quickly to mask his surprise, "I can see why he never wanted to reveal your identity, White Dragon Emperor." He narrowed his eyes then, already feeling a connection with his fellow silverette, one that was beyond their tenures as Dragon Emperors.

Vali scoffed, closing his eyes as he replied, "Yeah, I was surprised as well when I found out that my knight was cousin to my eternal rival…" He opened his blues and looked at Derek, he has been observing the British for as long as he's been asleep, but now that Derek was awake, the similarities between the two were just too much, he had no question in his mind that they were close, blood close, "But as I'm sure you've already guessed, we were sent here by your grandfather, you were about to destroy this continent."

Derek sighed, leaning his head back, not needing to be told what he did. Somehow, due to not being completely overwhelmed by the past users' curse, he was almost fully aware of what he was doing, thus, he knew exactly the horror he just committed.

The millions of lives he's taken.

"And she?" Not wanting to deal with the dirt right now, Derek instead looked at the woman asleep next to him.

Vali smirked, snorting before he replied while shaking his head, "That's something you're going to have to talk about it with her…" He walked closer to the bed, narrowing his eyes at the man he was sure was his brother, saying once Derek sensed a question, "Right now, I'm sure you've also realised why I haven't left."

None of the two knew exactly why, not even someone as capable as Derek Hamilton, but the British soldier nodded, saying, "We are connected…" Vali nodded, narrowing his eyes as the older man finished with equal tense eyes, "By blood."

There was a tense silence, both vessels staring at each other in an almost challenging manner, apparently ready to fight but in reality, they were delving into each other's aura, ensuring that their assumption was right.

And it was.

"Let me tell you a story…" Vali said after some moments of tense silence, grabbing a chair and once he positioned it next to the laying man, he began telling Derek all about him, his blood, who he was, who Derek probably was, and how he realised his heritage.

"So that man Rizevim is still alive, huh?…" Derek whispered after Vali finished his tale, the White One nodding at his question, making Derek lean his head back on his pillow as he added, "It sort of makes sense…" He lifted the hand that was free of the woman's grasp, looking at it, remembering all the moments that a very different power to that of Ddraig surfaced within him on extreme occasions. As someone who was trained to kill gods, he could easily tell that such hidden power, was divine, "I have seen pictures of the man, even I was stricken by how much I looked like him." He was talking about Lucifer Morningstar, the very first devil and more than likely, Derek's biological father.

Vali nodded, standing up before he said, "There is no way that Rizevim didn't felt the same that I did…" He looked at the man on the bed, narrowing his eyes as he added, "We need to confirm if you're my brother or not."

Derek raised an eyebrow, understanding the haste, if Rizevim was really after his brother's spawn, then there was definitely no time to waste. But still, he inquired, "I presume you have a method to check?"

Vali just smirked.

* * *

Five people stepped out of the portal created by Kuroka, the five people being Derek, Vali, Arthur, Bikō and Kuroka. They were currently in what it seemed to be a huge cave with lots of vegetation, the humid atmosphere allowing many insects and small animals to find shelter within the cove, the huge entrance of it allowing the sun's light to illuminate the inside of the cave.

Vali looked around, his eyes locking to Derek and Kuroka for a moment, snorting as he saw the blackette being uncharacteristically quiet. The female yōkai had woken up a little bit after he and Derek ended their conversation. The two had locked themselves in the room and had a talk that no one besides them knew what it was about. But ever since then, Kuroka had refused to both look or talk to Derek, but also refusing to leave his side, sticking to him closely.

"You're gonna have to stay behind for this…" Vali said as he eyed his team, Kuroka frowning but remaining quiet as the White Dragon Emperor added, "Where we're going, is a place only he and I can enter."

Derek nodded, looking at his cousin for a moment before his blues roamed to the nekoshō, the woman looking at the ground while biting her lip, nodding lightly, "Lead the way." He nodded at Vali then, urging him to walk.

Vali nodded and with that, he began walking deeper into the cove, with Derek closely behind.

"How did you found this place?" Derek asked, looking around him, somewhat fascinated by the beauty of the cove, it had an unnatural tint to it.

"Rizevim…" Vali's response made Derek narrow his eyes, the British silverette silent as the younger dragon continued, his eyes still looking at the front, "When I first encountered him, I didn't believed the shit he was saying to me, so he told me to come here, saying that I will find the answers I'm looking for right here."

Derek raised an eyebrow, challenging, "And you didn't thought it was a trap? You just accepted it and went along with it?"

Vali snorted, replying, "I knew it might be a trap, but to be honest with you…" He looked at the man he knew was his sibling to add, "I didn't cared anymore…" He sighed, his blues going back to the front as he finished, "I just wanted answers."

Derek just nodded, allowing silence to fall and focusing on just walking.

It didn't took them long to reach their destination, with Vali leading him to what it appeared to be a gigantic metallic door, rusty, practically cemented with the background of the cave.

Derek remained quiet, appraising the metallic door. His eyes then fell to his rival, seeing him biting his thumb and with delicacy, he drew the symbol he recognised as the Morningstar's crest on top of the door.

Vali stepped back when he was done, knowing that he was making a gamble with showing a stranger such a secret place. But he knew he was right, there was no way that his rival was not, at the least, related to him by blood. Besides, if Vali was wrong with his assumption, then he will simply kill him to avoid any trouble.

He doubted he could do that though.

"Come on." Vali said once the door opened enough to let them in, Derek nodding slightly as he silently began following Vali into the strange room.

The room turned out to be a large hall, with the opposite side of the hall being completely void of a wall, leaving a huge opening to admire the beauty of the forest that kept this place hidden.

Derek narrowed his eyes though, at the figure that stood away from them, silently contemplating the intricacies of the woods.

"Ah Vali…" The man said, his voice booming with an almost unnatural divine touch, his face turning to face them over his shoulders, allowing Derek to grasp a good image of the man. He had white hair, not too short, not too long, barely above his shoulders. He also had a magnificent silver beard, covering almost half of his rather handsome face. It was the eyes that caught Derek's attention however, as they were red, deep crimson, eyes that have hunted his dreams since childhood, "I see you brought company."

Vali nodded, looking at Derek to say, "I guess you already figured out who this man is?"

Derek nodded, focusing on the old man to say without a drop of doubt in his voice, "God…" The old man smiled, chuckling when the Hamilton heir crossed his arms and with an unimpressed expression, he said, "But you're not real… at least, not physically real… you're also supposed to be dead."

After a few seconds of chuckling, Jehovah looked at the silverette, saying gently, "You are as sharp as I'd imagined you'd be…" He smiled with a grandfatherly look, muttering, "My grandson."

Derek closed his eyes, whispering almost tiredly, "So I am the Devil's son…"

God nodded, his hand lifting and as he opened his palm, the dust below them began revolving around as if a tornado was lifting it, taking a few seconds for two human figures to appear, a male and a woman, "You are… you and Vali…" God looked at the two dust figures at his side, smiling a little sadly as he added, "The children of Lucifer, my eldest and most powerful son… and Lilith…a beautiful disgraced royal dhampir… her beauty matched only by her heart…" He looked back at his grandchildren, asking almost mockingly, "Can't you see the resemblance?"

Derek felt himself a little lost as he observed his biological parents, specifically his mother, being a little taken aback by how truly beautiful she was. He could definitely see himself in both of them, there was no denying it, he was their son. One look at Lucifer was enough to see that Derek, was the spitting image of the first devil.

"How are you here?" Derek then asked after observing the constructs of dust, his eyes now back on his grandfather.

Jehovah sighed tiredly at that question, he had hoped that Derek would show more emotion at seeing his parents, but even worse than Vali, the British had no response, not even a little heartstring was pulled. It saddened him because he could feel how dark his oldest grandson was, he just hoped that Derek won't follow the path his uncle did.

"I am an impression…" God began answering, looking back to the gigantic forest that covered his cove, "An image left behind by the real me in case someone ever needed me…" He smiled widely at those words, looking at the two young Morningstar to say, "It fills my heart with joy that Lucifer and you two have come to see me, it won't be long before this impression fades away… seeing my two grandchildren with my own eyes, is something I shall cherish for eternity."

"You did never answered my question…" Vali began saying, crossing his arms while he walked toward his grandfather, continuing speaking once he stood beside the man, "Are you alive or not?"

Jehovah waited until Derek was on his other side, sighing with a faraway look on his face, his red eyes aimed at the distance while he replied, "Physically, yes, I am dead…" He smiled a little, though it was a clearly tired one, "But in spirit, I am eternal… as every primal god…" He looked at both of his grandsons, finishing with a gentle smile, "Even after this impression fades, if you search for me enough, you shall find my spirit."

Vali nodded, understanding. But his eyes were drawn to his now official brother, Derek saying, "You said that Lucifer visited you…" Jehovah nodded, already knowing where the eldest grandson was going, "When and why?"

Jehovah sighed, his eyes closed while a diminutive smile appeared on his face, whispering, "He came by the day you two were born…" He opened his eyes then, again focusing on the forest while he continued his tale, "The reason? Rizevim…" His eyes narrowed, but it was more with pain than anything else, the pain of knowing what his youngest child had become, "Rizevim was also the reason why Lucifer and Lilith had to left you behind…" He looked down then, sadness filling him when he whispered, full of regret, "Though, I am also guilty of your unfair upbringings… away from your real parents…"

Derek narrowed his eyes, looking at Vali who seemed as confused as he, asking, "What do you mean?"

God sighed deeply, his eyes looking at both children before he settled on the distance again, replying softly, "When me and Lucifer fought, I had barely managed to win, but to do so, I had to use a powerful seal that used up all that was left of my power…" He closed his eyes, wincing at the memory of his fight with Lucifer, "But due to my emotions, I miscalculated the power of the seal and it ended up costing us both greatly…" He paused for some seconds, gathering the strength to continue, "Lucifer… lost his power… all of it…" Derek and Vali's eyes widened, shocked, their shock increasing when God added, "As for me, I lost my physical body a few months after the fact, I could barely move on my own and had to rely heavily on Michael for everything, until I passed away."

God paused and with a tired step, walked towards a stone chair that was on the middle of the hall, sitting with a tired moan before he continued his tale, "Your father had taken Lilith away and the two disappeared, I believe to settle in England, living as regular humans…" He smiled a little, adding with closed eyes, "They lived happily for over a thousand years, moving from villages once in a while to avoid suspicion and eventually…" He smiled at the two boys, whispering, "You finally came to be."

Derek and Vali remained silent, just staring at their grandfather with blank expressions.

Sighing again, the old God looked down and continued, "The birth of a Morningstar, it's something that other Morningstar can feel… we are connected… all of us…" He looked up at them, "I felt you when you were born…" He narrowed his eyes when he added, "And so did Rizevim."

"I see now…" Derek uttered, massaging his chin as he began formulating a theory, which he worded out after the pause, "Lucifer came to see you for help…" He looked at the Messiah and continued, "Without his power and Lilith being just a dhampir, they stood no chance against Rizevim, and he was obviously coming after me and Vali…" He looked at his brother then, finishing, "Either to take us away… or to kill us."

Derek's brain both amazed and frightened Jehovah. But shaking his head, the old God nodded, saying after a moment of silence, "You are spot on, Derek…" He sighed, tired, sad and regretful, "Eventually, he and Lilith decided to separate you, to keep you away from Rizevim at least, until you were capable to defend yourselves…" He smiled though, capable to feel the power those two wielded now, "Something you are now."

"Are they…" Vali began saying before he stopped, closing his eyes and inhaling before he opened them again, continuing, "Still alive?"

God looked at them for some moments before he cracked his neck, replying honestly, "I do not know…" Looking at the two confused males, he explained, "I am but a mere impression, I am capable to feel the birth of a Morningstar because of the pulse it creates within the world's aura, something only us and dragons can feel… but from there on, I cannot know when one has died…" He looked at the distance, wishing his son and his wife well, wherever they were, "They could both be alive, one of them only, or both dead… I… I do not know…"

Both siblings nodded, pensive, their eyes down at the implications. Vali was feeling a little anxious, a part of him wishing to see his biological parents at least one time.

Derek not so much though.

"Now…" God's voice drew their attention again, making them both focus on him as he said with a cheerful grandfatherly smile, "Why don't we forget about gloomy subjects and you entertain your Pops for a while?…" He patted on the chairs next to him, adding with a wide smile, "I am eager to hear all about you."

Derek and Vali just sighed while looking at each other, shrugging, despite being their grandfather, he was also a legendary being who once wielded almost absolute power. Not seizing the chance to chat with someone like him when it presented itself, was almost a sin.

* * *

Derek took a long deep sigh while cracking his neck, his eyes closed, feeling his mouth dry and tired. Never in his life has he talked that much, it has taken hours to explain his origin and what he knew about his blood. He had of course altered a lot of his story, keeping Vali's heritage hidden, instead, he explained him as someone who was just unlucky to face Rizevim and due to Derek's resemblance with the man, in both appearance and aura, he concluded that they were blood related.

All around him, the leaders and their guards were absolutely dumbfounded. Even Aleister and Akio were wide-eyed, this secret of their Boss was not one they even knew about, to suddenly know that the man that has led you for years under the banner of Humanity was in fact the son of none other than Satan himself, was something that shook even veterans like them.

"God was the one that told me about the day I was abandoned…" Derek whispered, closing his eyes before he finished, "That's how I knew about Lilith and the orphanage."

"W-Wait…" Gabriel whispered, her eyes reluctantly locking to Derek as she added once he focused his attention on her, "Is the L-Lord… alive?" She sounded hopeful, wishing to feel the warmth of their creator once again.

Derek sighed when he felt the eyes of everyone on him again, replying while shaking his head, "As I said on my tale, no, physically, God is gone…" He opened his eyes and looked at Gabriel, knowing that she was greatly confused about him and thus, she was shielding herself from him, "But just like Zeus, Odin, Shiva and perhaps even Lucifer, their physical existent might fade, but their spirit will always live on, so Jehovah is, in a way, alive."

Gabriel deflated a little, with Michael asking hopefully, "This impression of the Lord, can we see him?"

Much to their disappointment, the Hamilton heir shook his head, explaining, "He left specific orders, besides, you need to be a Morningstar to enter…" Seeing Gabriel's saddened expression, made Derek grit his teeth in frustration before he said, almost defeated, "But I'll ask him, maybe he'll accept seeing some of you."

The two angels present smiled at the British boy, grateful to have a chance of maybe seeing their creator again.

"But what about Lilith!?…" Natalia suddenly asked with wide eyes, adding troubled, "And Lucifer… a-are they… a-alive?" She couldn't believe how much she wanted to hear Derek say that they were, she has missed Lilith incredibly for a millennia now.

Derek sighed again, tilting his head before he replied with a shrug, "Who knows?…" Focusing on the deflated vampire, he continued, "There is a chance that maybe one of them at least is alive, but I doubt it…" He leaned back on his seat, continuing with closed eyes, "I believe that Lilith died a couple of days after giving birth to me…" Feeling their confusion, he explained, "Jehovah was a creation of Great Red, by amusement or not, he inherited the dragon's blood, so we are one hundred percent humanoid dragons…" The leaders nodded at that, "Giving birth to the child of a dragon, more so when you are not a dragon, is incredibly taxing, it requires you to have a lot of power and mental fortitude, but for what I managed to gather, Lilith was not weak, but she wasn't that strong either, so I believe that she perished some days after I was born."

"O-Oh…" Natalia whispered, her heart breaking at the idea.

"As for Lucifer, I met Rizevim once…" Their eyes widened again at what the silverette said, listening as he continued, "And while he didn't outright said it, he made it apparent that he had encountered Lucifer once…" He narrowed his eyes, finishing, "So I doubt that Rizevim left him alive."

Azazel sighed, whispering, "A powerless Lucifer… I never expected something like that…"

"But who knows…" Derek then added, something pushing him to try and sooth Natalia's pain, "I could be wrong, this is just my assumption."

Natalia smiled a little as she understood Derek's hidden meaning, nodding at him in thanks. Within her, there was a fire that refused to wane. If there was, even remotely, a chance that her sister figure was still alive, than she will do everything in her power to find her. Something, something in her heart told her that Lilith was still in the mortal plane.

"Thank you, Derek…" Sirzechs suddenly said with a small smile, bowing at the Morningstar before he added, "I know that saying all those things wasn't easy for you, it means a lot that you disclosed so much to us."

Derek sighed, waving at the leaders as he said with narrowed eyes, "Don't misunderstand Sirzechs, if I told you all of this, is because Rizevim is everyone's problem…" A shiver ran down their spine at the mention of the legendary Morningstar, "He's out there somewhere, he sent Ben here so that I would have to reveal myself to the world, I can no longer play within the shadows, that's a huge win for him."

Everyone nodded at that, with Azazel muttering while crossing his arms, "And if the Old Satan Faction is in fact a part of this 'Khaos Brigade'… then that means that Rizevim is part of the group as well…" There were some tense nods at that, Azazel massaging his chin before he added troubled, "And if my sources are correct… then the one leading the terrorist group… is none other than Ophis."

Frowns followed that statement, Rizevim and Ophis were two names that you'd never want to hear in the same sentence. Hence why the current Devil King commented, "Why don't we search for Lord Lucifer then?…" There were some looks of surprise after those words, prompting the redheaded devil to explain, "There's no one in this world that knows Rizevim better than Lord Lucifer… if he is alive…" He narrowed his eyes, finishing while resting his mouth on his fists, "Then we'd have a huge advantage on our side, powerless or not, Lord Lucifer is still an extraordinary being."

Yasaka nodded at that, saying with a small smile, "It could also work as our first mission as an alliance, make a team comprised of different races to start building camaraderie…" Her suggestion was met with nods, but she looked at the Morningstar in the room and asked a little timidly, "B-But… this is more of a family matter, Derek… the choice of what to do, should be yours."

Derek sighed when the other leaders agreed to that, closing his eyes and massaging his temples, already tired and wanting to go home and sleep, "Do as you please…" His harsh reply was met with confusion, hence he added, "Again, I am and will always be Humanity's protector, and as I said earlier on the first meeting, we can only provide support as of now…" He leaned on, eyes narrowed when he finished, "If you want to search for my biological father, then go ahead, his addition will certainly be a huge benefit for us… if he is alive that is."

There were nods following Derek's words, with Sirzechs stating, "While I am sure that most of us still have many questions, I think we should all keep them until we can meet with Derek one on one…" Everyone agreed to that, Derek feeling relieved by knowing that the meeting was over. Though he did felt a shiver, he knew he had women to confront and despite who he was, they were still his mates, they held power over him that no one else had, "I think we should end the meeting right here, there are still much work to do."

With nods, everyone stood up, preparing to leave, with Yasaka stating to Derek, "Umm… S-Should I go with you?" She was whispering, a blush on her cheeks.

Natalia also approached him, saying as well, "As should I? There are things I want to talk to you."

Derek just nodded, fixing his coat before he said, "Yeah…" He turned to look at Akio, saying, "Akio, go with them and wait for me outside…" He focused on Gabriel to finish, "There's something I must do first."

Akio nodded, urging the two female leaders to follow her, looking at her Boss out of the corner of her eyes before she, Yasaka and Natalia disappeared.

"Derek?" Aleister whispered next to him, the youngest Ghost shivering a little as he looked at Michael.

Derek nodded, saying to the Archangel, "Michael?…" Once the blond angel looked at him, the silverette nodded at Aleister as he said, "Can you spare some moments to my guard here? There's something he wants to ask of you."

Michael looked at Aleister, smiling gently while nodding, saying, "Of course, come child, you can tell me about your request as we go." Aleister nodded and with that, he began following the Archangel.

After them, the Devil side and the Fallen side all bid their farewells, all of them able to feel the tension between the remaining angel and Satan's son, thus, they left Gabriel and Derek alone in the room.

Derek sighed, looking at the side before he walked towards Gabriel, the female angel sensing his approach, thus she looked down and grabbed her forearm, nervous, "Gabriel…"

"I'm not as dense as people seem to think I am, you know?…" Gabriel suddenly interrupted him, making him wince as he felt her anger towards him. She looked up, her beautiful blue eyes now glassy, the woman grabbing Derek's jacket with a frustrated grip, asking with a whisper, "W-Were you ever going to tell me? To the women that have gave their hearts to you? To the people that everyday fight for you!? That trust you!?…" Derek was astounded by Gabriel's rant, he has never seen this side of her, he doubted anyone but him has, "I just want to know…" She began saying, now more softly, gently resting her forehead on his chest, feeling Derek wrapping his arms around her as she added, "Why are you so adamant in pushing us all away?…"

Derek could only sigh, resting his chin above her head, enjoying her warmth. It was extremely difficult for him to come up with a truthful answer, there were so many logical excuses he could come up with but he just couldn't lie to Gabriel. He might keep secrets from her and his mates, but he has never lied to them.

"I don't know, Gabriel…" So he settled for answering that, the only thing he considered to be the most truthful, "I don't know."

The pair remained like that after their conversation, Gabriel wanting to feel the warmth that only someone with the blood that created her could provide, as well as with the man that she felt deserved more than what he had. In her eyes, he deserved everything for walking and enduring the path he was walking. Nobody recognised that about him, nobody thanked him for what he does every day, most people believe him to be a monster, the embodiment of evil, and while that may also carry some truth, she also knew well the reason why she will never give up on him, why she will never run away and will always be by his side.

Even Satan's spawn, needed a guardian angel.

* * *

 **A/N: I really liked writing this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. Sorry if the grammar is sloppy, but I really was getting stressed to just finish it. Well then, I'll see you later and cheers!**


	14. Hell Bells

**A/N: Yo! New chapter fam!**

 **Broke my personal record again with this 30k words chapter, strange that I find this story easier to write than TBDE.**

 **I hesitated with moving forward to be honest, mostly because I had planned all along to put them as the first enemy, I didn't really expected that real world events would lead to this sentiment translated in the streets of real life Europe. I thought of maybe changing the course since I had already publicly stated my displeasure with them, I don't want people to think this story is propaganda. But I have to commit, this was the course of the story from the start and I would be a coward if I turn back now. So, I'm inclined to remind you that this story is entirely FICTION, if your country, beliefs or religion is shown as an enemy or in a negative way in my story, it's not because I have something against them, is simply for the sake of the story. Remember that you're not reading the story of a hero and his heroic group, you're reading the story of a man doing what he has to for the sake of his home, even destroying others.**

 **With that said, thank you for continue reading this story, it means a lot to me!**

 **Off with it then.**

* * *

 **Hell Bells**

"Bloody fucking hell…" An extremely tired Derek Morningstar muttered to himself as he leisurely walked through the darkened streets of Luxembourg City, on route to the last meeting of the day, "I'm a fucking dragon god and even so… they mauled the shit out of me." He took in the cold breeze of December's night fully, letting it quell the exhaustion he had right now.

The reason of the silverette's attitude, was the fact that he had spent the last five hours having a very tense meeting with his mates, then his teammates and the rest of the people under his wing.

Without a doubt, the one he had with Rias, Akeno, Tsubasa and Seekvaria, who had teleported herself to Luxembourg the moment the news reached the eastern side of the globe, was excruciating for him. Not that he could blame their anger of course, it was totally warranted and understandable.

They acknowledged the need for him to keep quiet, understanding fully that someone with his blood, was going to be received with both open arms and full on hostility, so it was understandable that the son of the Devil decided to keep it to himself.

But they still felt very hurt by such a huge secret, Seekvaria especially, as she was the very first and the fact that both Tiamat and Kuroka knew the truth about him, the former because she could sense it through their bond and the latter because she was the one that stabilised his vital essence after he went Juggernaut, therefore feeling the unmistakable presence of divine blood, fired up Seekvaria's rage even more, feeling as if she wasn't being appreciated.

Tiamat was also there, though since she already knew, decided to remain quiet until she stepped in to defend Derek, telling her Harem sisters that the Morningstar blood was something that went beyond any form of relationship, as it was more of a curse than anything else.

But it was Derek that surprised them all when he genuinely apologised, explaining that they were right to be angry at him, more so than the rest. Their bond was a sign of their trust, and perhaps it was because of what Gabriel said to him, but Derek admitted that he was being a real asshole to them.

It was a huge shock for them all, Tiamat included, when he continued saying that always telling them that that was just the way he was was no longer an excuse, he needed to mature and take on the full responsibility that came with being their man. It brought tears to Seekvaria's eyes when he promised them to do better for them, as she never, ever expected to hear that from him.

Now, if only he told them those three magic words they all itched to hear.

But it was one step at a time for the Red Dragon, Derek has never really felt anything close to what a normal guy would, he knew nothing of how to behave in this kind of situations and basically, was only going to try for their sake. Because no matter how hard he tried to deny it, without them he would be absolutely lost.

"Ah shit…" Derek whispered while his head remained down, walking almost on automatic through the city, the people moving away from his path, admiring him as he go, "And I have to worry about a fucking war as well…" He cracked his neck, sighing before he added, "At least the first plan is still a few months away…" He looked up, at the moon, "Should give me enough time to settle everything I need to before I focus solely on the war." He knew that when the war began, he was going to have to leave his mates and people for a while, perhaps even years. He was going to visit them whenever the chance appeared of course, hence why he was planning on moving them all to the Silver Palace, his biological father's castle in the Underworld's capital. But even so, he needed to be one hundred percent focused on the war effort and he had no clue how long the fight will last.

Jonathan had said that they should try to keep it as short as possible, a maximum of two years, but Derek knew that one little thing and all shit could fall upon them, there was a big chance that this war, turns out to be humanity's own downfall.

He had to stop when he suddenly felt a pang on his chest that forced him to stabilise himself with the wall, coughing roughly, his remaining hand placed in front of his mouth, catching the blood that he coughed.

"S-Shit…" Derek whispered, regaining his breath, this little episodes had become scarcer, but rougher, "And of course… my fucking time is r-running out…" He added to his list of problems.

 ** _"Then you better put your plan in motion, hatchling…"_** Ddraig's voice resounded within Derek's head, the boy listening as his partner added, **_"It's the only chance you got."_**

Derek rested his head back, a hand clutching his chest, where his heart was, eyes closed as he whispered back, "Tell me about it…"

The British royal finally managed to recover his wits after some minutes, taking a deep inhale and after spitting the remaining blood in his mouth, he fixed his jacket and continued his way towards his destination.

The rest of the way was spent in silence, Derek contemplating the next steps of his plan, figuring it out how best to proceed. Mainly, how to keep his personal life intact.

Sooner than what he expected, he suddenly found himself right in front of the luxurious hotel his date was hosted, taking a deep breath before he walked in, heading towards the reception to ask, "Good night, Ms Dracul's room?"

The male receptionist turned to face the Hamilton, widening his eyes and stuttering as he recognised him, "M-M-Mr Hamilton!…" Derek nodded, the receptionist recovering his wits and after shaking his head, said, "Ms Dracul t-told us about your visit, so please, take the k-keys and go right ahead, the presidential suite on the twelfth floor, milord."

"Thank you." Derek said and after a nod, he walked towards the lift, pressing the button and stepping into the machine once it opened its doors, leaning back on the wall with a heavy sigh, eyes closed, pondering.

He kind of had an idea of what the Vampire Queen wanted to discuss with him, and while some years ago he would've been completely annoyed by it, now, he could actually find some usefulness to it. Securing the Yōkai and the Vampires by substantially becoming their King, could expand the influence of the Templar Order into the strategic areas that both women possessed.

Mainly due to the fact that Britain, his nation and the Templar's owned territory, was actually going to war against Europe, more specifically, the European Union, "Romania is right in the Balkans, we can use the resurgence of patriotism in the region to create the new European government…" He recited his grandfather's words again, adding as an afterthought, "As for Kyoto, it's good that the White Lotus changed their HQ to China, could be a big entering point for us." Templar supremacy was the goal and as a fervent believer of his Order, Derek will do his part.

The door to the lift finally opened, with Derek sighing and stepping out of the elevator to continue his path to Natalia's room, finding it moments later.

He grabbed the keys and turned the lock, opening the door and walking into her suite, looking around, trying to find her.

"You're finally here, Derek." Natalia's silky voice drew his attention towards the balcony of her room, the man feeling a little taken aback by seeing her figure, only covered by a thin robe, her beautiful body and face glistening with the moon's light, alluring him.

Natalia for her part, smirked as she saw Derek's reaction, a tingle on her dead body resonating strongly over her. She was a beautiful woman and she knew that well, there were countless of marriage proposals waiting for her every day in her office. But no one really had anything worthy to make a deal with. She had no intentions of a real relationship, or at least, that's what she was to propose to Derek.

"Please…" Natalia said, walking into the house, tying the robe tightly to her body. The man nodding and after he closed the door, Derek walked towards the nearest couch and sat, observing as Natalia grabbed two glasses and a bottle of wine, walking towards him with a seductive step, "Thank you…"

She was interrupted however, when the Hamilton shocked her as he waved her off and said with eyes narrowed, "Stop, you're beautiful indeed, but it's not going to work on me, Natalia…" He still took the cup from her hand and served himself some wine, adding after sipping it fully, "You're not the first one who tried to seduce me like this, and you won't be the last."

Despite the harshness of his words, Natalia smiled, relieved to forget about her ploy of seducing him. She knew it was not going to work on him, or at least, expected that, but she still needed to test him to see if he was truly worthy of being her mate. Only a man who was capable of resisting his animalistic urges and that is able to set the tune for the dance, could claim such title.

"Then I assume you know what I want to talk to you about?" Natalia then said, serving herself some wine and refilling Derek's glass, sitting on the couch in front of him, crossing her legs.

Derek shook his head, stating, "Not really, I have an idea, but please, do tell me." He narrowed his eyes at her, leaning on, his draconic aura oozing off of him, making her understand that he was the alpha here.

And surprising Natalia, her own body completely understood that. It may have been because he held the blood that created her species, or perhaps, because he was a Heavenly Dragon. Dragons alone hold a commanding aura as it is, a heavenly one, is just absurdly so.

The Vampire Queen giggled, nodding as she said, "Alright then…" She took a deep sigh, locking her blues to his blues, saying with a calm tone, "I simply would like to offer a deal with you…" She tilted her head, continuing after the pause, "As you probably know, I've been Queen of the Vampires for almost a millennium now…" Derek nodded at that, "My father ruled for almost a thousand years, our species is about to reach a little over two thousand years and a half old, so I've been Queen for half of that time…" She sipped her wine, continuing after, "To put it simply, the elders and the heads of the main families are getting… restless… for my lack of an heir."

Derek sighed, sipping his beverage, adding with a small nod, "So I guess that what you want from me, is a child?…" Natalia nodded with a small smile, listening as the Hamilton said with narrowed eyes, "And what do I get from this deal?"

Natalia smirked, crossing her legs in a sensual manner as she stated, "Well, you get to use my body as you see fit… whenever you feel like…" She leaned on, adding, "I know that you're not interested in emotional attachments… neither am I… so simply think of this as a business deal."

"That's not gonna cut it…" Derek's words most definitely shocked her, the man continuing, "That I am at the moment not interested in children, does not mean I won't care about them when I have one…" He locked his blues on her, saying with a grave tone, "I do plan on taking care of them, so if you want a child from me, you're going to have to take the Morningstar name…" Natalia's eyes widened, the man continuing, "You will have to be officially a wife of mine." While his own words would've surprised him before, lately, he had understood that he couldn't just do everything on his own, he needed people who had his back, so just entering in this sort of deals without a care, was no longer acceptable.

That was a genuine shock for Natalia, but surprising Derek, it was one she welcomed, as she smiled a little and said, explaining her reaction, "I am surprised… very surprised…" She sighed, adding, "The only reason for why I branded this as a business deal, was because I didn't thought you'd be interested in anything more…" She sipped her wine, speaking after, "Though, I did not lied when I said that I am not interested in an emotional attachment… for now… and I know that neither are you…" Derek nodded at that, the woman continuing, "But still, I would be relieved and glad to take on your name and be your official mate, it's… it's been lonely for me…" She took a deep sigh, opening up to him, "The truth is, the child was not only to appease the elders, it was also so that I could have someone with me…" She smiled at him then, she was as inept as the Morningstar when it came to emotions and such, but she was still a woman and without anyone by her side, loneliness was an emotion she had come to despise, "If that is what you desire, then I'd be joyous to comply with your request."

Before the woman could believe that the deal was done, Derek informed her of something he believed might make her reconsider her position, "That's okay, but you need to know something about the children I will have…" Natalia leaned on, listening intently as the male added, "I have ensured that my sperm doesn't hold the Morningstar divinity…" Her eyes widened, the man continuing, "While obviously they will still be Morningstar by blood, regardless of the mother, they will not be pure-blooded Morningstar like myself."

Natalia surprised him again when she showed no care about said statement, instead, she said honestly, "I understand and actually don't mind, regardless of such, you're still a Heavenly Dragon and I'm still the Vampire Queen, our child will be strong regardless…" She sipped her wine before she then asked with genuine curiosity, "But why? Can you tell me?"

Derek sighed, massaging his neck, explaining, "Because this bloodline is a curse…" He focused on Natalia, continuing, "Believe me, if I could, I would completely erase the Morningstar blood from me, but I can't, I can only ensure that my children only retain the same kind of blood that runs within the Lucifuge family, in essence Morningstar but without the divine aspect of it… I…" He sighed, his eyes looking lost as he concluded, "There's no need to put such burden on them."

His answer only ensured Natalia of her decision that she had finally found her perfect mate. A reliable, strong, dedicated man that despite being able to be a monster for their sake, could also show lapses of how he truly cared.

Thus, the Queen smiled, sipping her wine before she whispered, "I am actually quite relieved to hear that, I do not want our child to be chased around by those who want the Morningstar blood, I am sure that the others would be as relieved as me."

Sighing in defeat, the son of Lucifer leaned back on the couch, melting himself on the soft surface before he gave it one last lazy shot, "You really have no problem with being the mate of a man a thousand years younger than you?"

Natalia smirked a little irritated, stating half warningly, "While I do not appreciate you calling me old…" Derek smirked, charming the woman with that simple gesture, "Time is of no significance to me, I am immortal after all…" She sipped her wine, adding after, "Also, I'm sure you know that in the supernatural world, morals are very different, in fact, my father and mother came from the same womb, you know?…" Derek raised an eyebrow at that, genuinely surprised, "Besides, you're already fucking Tiamat, she's even older than I am."

Derek closed his eyes, resigned, not that he was unhappy with the outcome. Natalia was a hugely powerful asset to his cause and the woman herself was stunning. Most importantly though, she was very much like him, cold, detached, calculative, he needed a lover like that, one that could understand that side of him.

"I do have another question…" Natalia's voice made him look back at her, nodding at her to continue, "With all this said, what's in it for you?…" She narrowed her eyes, conveying her seriousness as she explained, "This deal is wonderful for me, I get a child with you, you satisfy my needs and I become officially your partner, taking on your name might make me more notorious, but that's not such a bad thing…" She pointed at him with her glass, finishing with her inquire, "But you, there's hardly anything there for you… you already have women as beautiful as me, there are hundreds more piling for you as well… you don't need power, for you are more powerful than me and my whole race combined… so what's in it for you, my dear?"

That's why he was interested in the blonde vampire, she was as vicious and direct as him, his perfect match one could say, "Romania…" The woman's eyes widening, the silverette continued, "I will essentially become the King of Vampires…" Natalia nodded at that, listening as he kept going, "So I'm going to have a way to spread my Order's ideals to the Balkans, we need them for the coming war."

"I though you said my home was out of bounds, Derek." She challenged, eyes narrowed, she was still the Queen of Vampires and she could not afford her kind being dragged into World War Three.

Derek sipped the rest of his liquid, saying after he gulped it down, "And it is, Transylvania and Romania as a whole won't be directly involved…" He leaned on, sighing before he explained, "Look, the Templar's main goal for the next months, is to unify Europe to avoid it turning into another battlefield, we don't want Europe to be the epicentre of the fight again, but to do that, we need to take down the main obstacle for a new Europe…"

Being highly in touch with Humanity and their politics, Natalia's eyes widened as she understood what her soon to be mate was implying, "The European Union…" Remembering his speech, she also figured that the sudden raise of patriotism in the Balkan block, was the intended target for Jonathan's new Union, "You're surrounding Germany and France, aren't you?"

Derek just nodded with a small smirk, surprised to see her deducing so much with so little information.

Natalia just sighed then, leaning back, crossing her arms below her bust as she said, "Whatever, it's not my problem…" She then narrowed her eyes and said, though this time, her voice was a mixture of seriousness and wifely one, stating, "Just please, as my man, promise me that you'll ensure that YOUR Vampire Kingdom remains out of it… promise me."

Derek sighed, saying, "I am not your man yet, nor are they my kingdom still…" He focused on her, continuing, "But I will be soon, so you have my word as your partner, my dragon word, I will protect you and our kingdom."

Natalia remained staring at him for some moments before she smiled widely, honest, happy with the outcome, saying relieved, "Thank you… it means a lot for me to hear you say that."

Derek sighed while he nodded slightly, whispering as he massaged his neck, "You'll have to talk to Seekvaria, Rias, Akeno, Tsubasa and Tiamat though…" He focused on her, "They are the ones that decide this matters now, it was the deal."

Natalia raised an eyebrow, hearing that from Yasaka as well who also had to go through something similar, "That's… strange… I didn't thought you needed their permission…" She wasn't trying to put his status as an alpha in question, but her words came out wrong and she regretted it the moment she spoke them, as the room got hot and her body shivered.

"I don't…" Derek stated with cold narrowed eyes, explaining, "But back when I allowed Seekvaria to call herself my mate, she had made me promise that if a woman entangles herself with me, there were two rules I had to follow… one, no one night stands, if I want sex, I have mates for those needs, so a new woman will only be accepted if I have a long and serious thing with them… hence why you have to take my name…" Natalia nodded at that, still shivering by his pressure, "And two, she and those that come next, are the ones that decide whether a woman is accepted or not, this is their family as well, so they should have a say…" He leaned on, whispering a little dangerously, "I do not need their permission, they know that too, but I follow said rules because…" He stopped there, not able to continue.

But Natalia had a dashing smile after that, she knew exactly what he was about to say and it filled her with happiness that her best friend's son was not completely gone, "I understand…" She said, helping him avoid what he was about to say, already understanding her man well, "I am greatly joyed to hear that you will hold my voice in such regard as well." It was the truth, she was an independent woman and she will like to keep it that way. Though she still knew that with Derek being a dragon and having a Harem, he will be the alpha in the relationship. She didn't minded that with him though.

Derek took a deep sigh, leaned back, eyes closed before he stood up, saying, "Then you should expect them tomorrow, they'll want to talk to you…" Natalia nodded, standing, walking towards him as he fixed his posture, adding, "I have to go back now… I… I need to take some fucking ice cream to them…"

Natalia laughed loudly at that, fixing his jacket for him, kissing his cheek with a lover's delicacy, whispering as both locked eyes, "Got a lot of making up to do, I've heard…" She wasn't surprised that he was grilled by his mates, if she could say anything about the women that Derek surrounded himself with, was that they are by no means weak-willed, in fact, some are even fiercer than the Morningstar himself, like Tiamat.

"Tell me about it…" He whispered defeated, a small shiver running down his spine at the thought of going back to a group of very angry and hurt women, "Also, do not leave the country just yet…" Natalia's eyebrow raised, showing her confusion, "It appears that my next mission is taking me to Romania, and I'm going to need your help for it." He explained.

While surprised, Natalia was none the less joyed, smiling as she patted his chest and nodded, saying, "Of course dear, I'd be delighted to."

Derek nodded, separating from her and saying one last time, "Then I take my leave."

Natalia watched as he walked towards the door, smiling, waving at him as she said, "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow, be careful." Derek nodded at her and soon, he disappeared from her view, her room's door closing.

Natalia then just stayed on her spot for some seconds, a hand on her chest as she smiled, wishing she could feel some heat or beats from the organ she knew didn't worked. But still sighing, she looked at her balcony, a small melancholic look on her face as she whispered to the wind, "I promise you, Lilith… I will take good care of your son…"

* * *

"Sona, you're here as well." The blonde devil known as Seekvaria Agares said as she approached her fellow noble devil. Behind her, the entirety of her peerage following their leader.

"Yeah, I see they called many." The blackette woman said as she eyed the very large crowd that was gathered at the moment.

Seekvaria nodded, looking around. Besides them, there were two other devil families, Rias' peerage and even Sairaorg Bael's, currently chatting with his cousin, stating once the four devil families got close, "Do any of you have a clue what this is all about?"

Rias, Sona and Seekvaria shook their heads, with the blonde saying as she eyed the strange warehouse they were all in, "I don't know but whatever it is, has to be huge to involve not just us, but Angels, Fallen, Vampires and Yōkai."

They all nodded, observing the people that did not belonged to the Devil faction.

Besides them, there were four people that they could tell belonged to Heaven. Three of them, they recognised as Irina, Xenovia and Griselda, who was not just pardoned by the Church, but Michael himself apologised to her and Asia even, making Griselda an official representative of Heaven in Luxembourg, the former exorcist wishing to remain close to her leash. The last member of Heaven's contingent, was a handsome young and tall man with shiny blond hair, wearing a set of priest clothes, his aura was quite calm and had a somewhat sleepy face, currently being berated by Griselda.

Not far from them, there was a small group of three people, all of them belonging to the Fallen Angel faction. The two women, were Derek's devotees Raynare and Kalawarner, currently talking to a handsome black haired male, a little older looking than his companions, with Japanese features. Beside him, there was a rather large black dog resting, eyes closed, a powerful aura oozing off of both of them.

A little further from the crowd, there were three people minding themselves, showing no signs of wanting to be close to the rest. They're group consisted of two men and a woman. The first male was rather skinny, pale as a ghost, his brown hair flowing with the wind as he donned a black coat that covered his whole body, eyes closed. Beside him, there was another skinny but beautiful pale young woman, blonde, with a face and figure that seemed to be straight out of a fairy tale, equally calm and reserved. And lastly, the one that seemed to be the strongest, was a gruffly looking male with short black hair, eyes closed, wearing just a vest that left his naked torso out in the open, a rare thing since they were all vampires.

Then, not far from the devils, there was another small group of four people, two women and two men, all of them radiating a friendly aura, but still remaining calm and to themselves. The first woman was a purple-haired female, hiding herself behind her fellow Yōkai, she seemed to be sucking a popsicle, wearing a loose white shirt with black sleeves, a thigh-length greenish skirt with purple long stockings adorned with pink stripes, a pair of comfortable snickers. The young male standing in front of her in a protective manner, was a tall white haired male wearing a black business suit, his eyes seemed to be of different colours, one green and the other golden, overall he was the one with the most powerful aura of the four, but still seemed to be quite amicable. Next to him, was another male, taller than the other, he also had white hair but longer, almost reaching his lower back, he was also wearing a similar suit but unlike the younger male, he seemed more serious and reserved, as he remained with his arms crossed and eyes closed. And lastly, talking to Kushina at the moment, was a beautiful tall black-haired woman wearing a traditional white kimono, a gentle smile on her face as she amicable chatted with the Uzumaki who had approached to greet her fellow yōkai.

As for the last set of people in the warehouse, consisted of the people currently serving under Derek's wing, those being Akio, Aleister, Xuelan, Siris, Yubelluna, Marion, Burent and Kushina, all of them chatting with the peerages as they waited for Grayfia to appear.

Finally, after what it seemed like forever, there was a silver glow in the warehouse, all the people within it turning towards the far side of the building, observing as a beautiful grey-haired woman with a maid's outfit appeared, bowing as she said, "My apologies for keeping you here for so long, the leaders took more than expected but now they're ready for you…" She looked at them all, her hand glowing as she stated, "Please, remain in your spots and do not move."

Everyone did as told and just after Grayfia lifted her hand, the ground began to shine, blinding them for a second. Once they were able to see again, they were confused as they saw the same warehouse they were in, though there was definitely something different about it.

"Please, follow me." Grayfia said and with that, she turned around and walked towards the entrance, leading them out of the warehouse.

The dozens of people were surprised when after stepping out of the building, they found themselves walking in a completely different world, easy to tell by the purple-kinda looking sky and the fact that they seemed to be floating in space.

Rias was the one that voiced everyone's question, "Grayfia, where are we?"

The maid looked at her sister-in-law over her shoulder, replying, "We are in a different dimension, similar to the ones used for the Rating Games…" She looked back at the front, continuing her explanation, "Your living signatures have been added to the access spot in the warehouse, so you are now able to access this dimension on demand."

Mildly confused, Seekvaria fixed her glasses, adding her own inquiry, "But what for?"

Grayfia replied with a simple, "It'll be best if you hear it from the leaders themselves."

While not happy, everyone just accepted her words and continued their trek towards wherever the beauty was taking them.

They marvelled once they reached a beautiful castle-like building, white, with breath-taking architecture that made them all awe.

As they all murmured between each other, Grayfia continued leading them inside the castle, their wonder growing even more at the beautiful interior, almost as if they were in the home of a god.

Eventually, after some moments of more walking, Grayfia finally seemed to reach her destination, as she led them towards what it seem to be the main room, huge wooden doors in the way.

After Grayfia opened the doors, the expectants were surprised to see the people that were waiting for them all in a huge room with a circular table at the centre, a small podium right on the far side of the room, placed in a way that seem to allow someone to speak to the table directly.

Sitting at the far side of the table, looking at the young and not so young people entering, was a congregation of powerful beings comprised of Natalia Dracul, Yasaka Uzumaki, Sirzechs Lucifer, Azazel, Michael and a man that many meet for the first time, the most powerful human in the world, Jonathan Hamilton.

As they stopped, making space for everyone to be able to see, Grayfia continued walking until she settled behind her husband. She wasn't the only one in said position, as behind Azazel was Penemue, then behind Michael was Gabriel and lastly, behind his grandfather, was Derek Morningstar. Those that haven't met him in person, revelled at his intoxicating presence, the container of the blood that made their species.

Once everyone settled, Sirzechs was the one that stood up and said, "Thank you all for coming, we apologise for the delay, but we were held up by small inconveniences…" As they all nodded, the redheaded King looked back at them and with a small smile, asked, "I am sure you are all confused as to why all of you were called here?"

Nodding, Rias looked around her and was the one that said "Yeah, what's the meaning of this calling, Lord Lucifer?"

As Sirzechs sat back, Michael was the one that replied her question, "As you are all aware by now, our species have reach an agreement, an alliance better said…" They nodded at that, listening as the Archangel continued, "Therefore, we decided to signal the start of our cooperation, by creating a team with our most prospected blood…" Their eyes widened at that, "We have officially called this team, The Watch."

Yasaka continued for him, "Essentially, this team will serve many purposes, but it is mostly to symbolise the strength of our alliance, therefore you should expect to be called upon in big emergencies, like facing off directly against the terrorist group known as Khaos Brigade."

Pausing, Natalia continued, "You were all specifically chosen based on your strength, passion, determination and future…" She smirked at them, adding, "You are the representatives of your races and our alliance, so be proud of yourselves."

Some of them smiled, though the blonde petite vampire known as Elmenhilde, Natalia's handmaiden, said with a small frown, "It seems kind of disproportionate however…" With everyone's attention on her, she did felt a little conscious about her words, but still managed to say, "I-I mean… there are over thirty devils here, I don't see much balance."

Azazel chuckled, replying, "That is true, but that means that there isn't much from the other species to pick from, so you should be pushing your peers to be better instead of complaining…" Elmenhilde winced at his words, but the Governor continued unmuted, "Besides, while there are many more devils in the team, the top three of you, are Dulio, an angel, Tobio, a human working for me, and Sōshi, a yōkai…" Focusing back on the vampire, he concluded with a teasing smirk, "So don't get too taken by the numbers themselves."

Elmenhilde just nodded dumbly, everyone quiet as the King of Devils spoke again, "Now, allow me to explain how your team works…" He cleared his throat and then continued, "While there won't be ranks, there is need for a hierarchy that deals with the missions of the Watch, so the team will be divided like this…" He focused on three women, pointing at them as he said, "Penemue, Gabriel and Grayfia will act as 'Connections' to us, meaning that you will receive your orders and missions from us, through them, their part on this team will be more of a secretarial one, they will help you out on the field if necessary, but they will spend most of their time here in your headquarters."

They nodded, silent as the devil continued, this time, focusing on them, "Now, I want you all to understand that outside of missions, there is no one that can order you around, you are all equals, warriors fighting for the same cause, so treat each other with respect…" His aura made it clear that it was not a suggestion, but a rule, "However, there is need for leadership on the field, so after discussing it, Dulio Gesualdo…" The laidback priest had his eyes widened, surprised when Sirzechs continued, "You are as of now, the acting Commander of the Watch, what missions the team takes, who goes and so on, will be decisions that are up to you to take… you should also get to know your people so that you can find one or two that can help you manage the team."

The man named was surely taken aback, but still bowed and said with a harmonious voice, "It is an honour, thank you."

Smiling at the young man, Sirzechs concluded the organisation of the team, saying, "Now, the last part of your team…" He glanced at both Azazel and Derek, explaining once looking back at the full members, "Are Governor Azazel and Derek… Morningstar…" It felt so weird to say that name again, "They will not be members as such, as they will be acting as your advisors, meaning that if any of you feel lost or need guidance with how to proceed, you can always go to any of them and they will help you."

While Derek was even younger than some of the members of the Watch, none dared to question his position, as his prowess, legend and achievements, were known throughout the world. Not to say anything of the fact that out of everyone in the room, he was the only genuine god.

Once Sirzechs finished explaining the hierarchy of the team, Jonathan spoke, "Due to certain obstacles that Humanity is facing right now, we are not able to deliver a full contingent, so you should understand that Akio and Aleister, won't always be available…" His eyes were aimed at Dulio, who nodded his understanding, listening as the human leader continued, "But you have my permission to free roam in Human territory, in the case you need to do something outside the law, contact Derek, if you do not have his permission and still go through with breaking the law, there will be consequences."

It was amazing how a human could instil such respect and fear in beings physically more powerful than him, as everybody nodded and said nothing, feeling a nervous shiver running down their spines as the old man stared at them all, uncaring of who they were.

After Jonathan spoke, Yasaka sighed and said, eyes on them, "Now, we wish we could have time to celebrate the formation of such wonderful team, but we already have a priority mission for the Watch…" She narrowed her eyes, adding with a grave tone, "And it is important that you know that just like every other mission you receive, the information you'll get for this team, is classified to the highest degree."

Jonathan was the one that narrowed his eyes as he complemented Yasaka's words, "Divulge anything you hear, see or do here, and your life will be the price."

They all readily nodded, even the strongest of them knew that the people before them were vastly more powerful than all of them combined. It wasn't hard to figure out that Derek Morningstar was here as an enforcer rather than an advisor, and every single one of them have heard of the man's brutality, it wasn't worth it to fool around with this.

"With that said, it's time for you to know of your very first mission…" Michael began talking, turning to Derek as he continued, everyone paying close attention to him, "As everyone knows by now, young Derek here is… the son of Lucifer Morningstar…" There were nods at those words, silent, the Archangel continuing, "His very existence was something none of us predicted, and sadly, it appears that it also opened the possibility to a very grim reality."

Seeing their confusion, Natalia was the one that continued, "As you know, the enemy right now is the group known as Khaos Brigade…" They nodded, the woman continuing after the pause, "Originally, we believed that the terrorist cell was being led by the Infinite Dragon Ophis, but Blue Ben's appearance and Derek's own confirmation, made the terrifying possibility that someone more sinister was behind the group, almost a given."

That raised many eyebrows, listening as Azazel continued for the Vampire Queen, "Ophis has never been a being that cares for the world, the majority of dragons only care about strength, she's no exception…" He sighed, "I still believe that she's after Great Red and that's why she formed this group, but I am certain that there is someone else using her for his own gain."

"Who?" Sairaorg asked, arms crossed, intrigued and fired up.

"My uncle…" Derek's voice startled them all, their eyes widening as he said a name all of them have heard in the darkest of tales, a man who was thought to be the real Devil, "Rizevim Morningstar."

There was a shocked and tense silence after those words, with Seekvaria whispering,  
"D-Dear, are you sure?" Their fear was warranted, as the man had left an enormous mark in the history books, a terrifying dark one.

Derek nodded, saying, "I am, I've seen him…" Their shock increased, listening as the Morningstar continued, "I have no clue what he's after, but I'm certain it's not good."

Continuing for him, Michael spoke, "The main issue is that Rizevim has always been rash and uncaring of the mess he makes…" He felt a little bit of anger at the memory of Rizevim killing Jesus, even in the face of his own death, Jesus had smiled and continued to love Rizevim regardless of him being his own killer, "But it has been over a millennium since he was thought to be dead, the fact that just now we're hearing again about him and yet, he's still lurking in the shadows, worries us greatly because he's just not like this."

"He's planning something huge…" Azazel added, eyes narrowed, saying after a pause, "Something that could lead to a catastrophic outcome."

"He needs to be stopped then." The toughest looking vampire said without a hitch, ready for the fight.

"Yes but it's not going to be that easy…" Sirzechs warned, continuing after a brief silence, "Rizevim has a power level that could rival any of the main deities, he's a god as well and a Morningstar at that, don't you ever underestimate a dragon, however form they have…" He sighed, adding, "Thankfully, Derek's appearance also opened a door that could lead us to victory."

Confused, they all turned to Derek for a moment before Sirzechs said something completely unexpected, "There is also a possibility that Lord Lucifer is still alive…" That was the biggest shock of the night for them, eyes completely widened, every single one of them, regardless of affiliation, could only marvel at the thought of one of the world's biggest legends being around still, with the redheaded King speaking, "While Derek believes that he is dead, Jonathan brought something to our attention that made us green-light your first mission."

All eyes turned to Jonathan, even Derek who still hasn't seen the footage his grandfather apparently had. The senior male cleared his throat and as he leaned on towards the table, he grabbed an electronic tablet and after a couple of shuffling with his fingers, an image was sent to a large screen at the side of the room, all eyes travelling there.

Derek narrowed his eyes and tightened his jaw, his anger spiking, alerting everyone in the room.

But Jonathan continued, "The place that you're seeing right now…" The image depicted a lonely street in the middle of the night. At the far of the image, there was also an apparently burnt down building, cars passing by, the image belonging to a security camera fixed on the outside of a an opposite building, "Is what was left of Brussels' Grand Fiesta Hotel…" Those who knew about Derek's story, understood his anger, as they were seeing the place where he lost his parents, "What happened in there, is a secret that only Derek has the right to reveal, so I'll leave that to him…" Derek remained silent, everyone confused, but listening as the black-haired male continued, "But suffice to know that something… scarring… occurred to him in that building."

Derek remained silent, eyes narrowed, still feeling a swirl of emotions within his belly, thankful to his years of experience in the field that helped him control himself in this moment, appearing collected but slightly irritated.

"What I want you to see…" Jonathan spoke again, earning their attention as he added, "Is this woman right here…" Thankfully, the camera had good definition and as the footage rolled, they saw a tall woman with apparent short white hair, she was wearing a black suit and black jeans, with a white shirt or sports bra underneath it, it was somewhat difficult to tell. As the footage moved on, it was clear to see that the woman seemed very interested on the burnt building, as she looked over it for a considerable amount of time, though in some frames, it did appeared that she was being mindful of being spotted, as she constantly looked around, "Whoever this woman is, seemed to be investigating the scene on her own. There was no one authorised to investigate the scene, as I made it clear to everyone that the building and what happened was off limits."

After he spoke, Jonathan stopped the video right when the woman's face turned towards the camera, the Hamilton patriarch pressing some more on the tablet and the image zoomed in to her face. While somewhat pixelated by the close-up, her face was still easy to make out. Her hair was in fact white, her skin was also dark, light-skinned. She had a very beautiful face and was wearing a pair of black shades, a suspicious thing since it seemed to be night time.

"I want you all to memorise her face…" They nodded, confused but keeping the woman's face in their mind, listening as the old man continued, "Now, the picture that I'm about to show you, is one that I have gone to excruciating amounts of efforts to keep it hidden from the world…" There was a tense silence at that, Jonathan continuing as he eyed his grandson, "Even from Derek."

Derek still had his back on everyone, but he did narrowed his eyes. While not angry at his grandfather because he was just like him, keeping secrets from even those closest to his heart, he still find it annoying.

"Okay Jonathan, please continue." Sirzechs urged, intrigued.

Jonathan nodded and as he observed his pad, he swiped a couple of times until he sent an image to the screen.

Even Derek was shocked when his eyes settled on the image, the rest feeling even more shocked.

"T-That's…" Natalia whispered, a hand to her heart as she stared at the black and white picture.

"Lucifer and Lilith… Derek's parents…" Jonathan said with a nod.

The image on the screen, was black and white, clearly old, probably in the mid 20's by the clothes they were wearing. The image depicted a smiling Lilith with a smirking Lucifer on her side, an arm around her shoulder. Behind them, there was what appeared to be multiple relics on display, seemingly in a museum, many people walking and admiring the relics on the background of the picture.

"Wait, that's the woman!" Yasaka added after the initial shock wore off.

Her words made everyone focus on the person standing right in between the couple, the same white-haired woman, though she seemed a little younger, with a wide smile on her face, Lucifer's hand on her shoulder while Lilith was holding her left hand.

The fact that they looked like a happy family, made Derek's jaw tighten, an action that was caught by everyone in the room.

Nobody dared to comment on it though.

Keeping Derek's attention on the meeting, Jonathan spoke, "Indeed, it appears to be the same woman…" He then swiped the tablet again, the image changing, this time a picture taken by a paper it seems, the dark-skinned woman present there as well, with a somewhat similar outfit, standing alongside many people, all of them wearing Police outfits of some sorts, "This is the most recent picture we could find of this woman, for what we could gather of this particular picture, it appears that this was the culmination of an important investigation in Tromsø, Norway, there is a chance she was or is part of the Police Force there."

"Do you believe she's there?" Natalia asked, probably the most eager one of them all to find any trace of Lilith and Lucifer, her heart longing for the woman she saw as a sister.

Jonathan shrugged, replying, "Hard to know, I have used my agents many times to find her, but so far, we've come short…" He narrowed his eyes, somewhat impressed, "She's quite handy as there is no trace of her seemingly anywhere."

"And that's why you believe she has a connection with Lucifer?" Michael commented as he massaged his chin, Jonathan nodding at his words. If this woman had nothing to do with them, then she shouldn't be that difficult to find.

"Why keep this from everyone else, Jonathan?" Sirzechs then asked. There was no anger in his voice or anything the like, the only one who had any right to be angry was Derek, but he seemed unfazed. Though Sirzechs and the other leaders were without a doubt intrigued as to why Jonathan had this information and had kept it hidden even from Derek.

Jonathan sighed, leaning back, replying, "Derek…" Everyone glanced at the young man in question who still refused to look back at them, still listening as his grandfather spoke, "When we found out about his uniqueness, I had to ensure that he was no menace to Britain, so I did a thorough search on his background…" He looked at his fellow leaders, continuing, "While Derek is indeed the Red Dragon Emperor, as I'm sure you're already been told by him, there were moments in his childhood where he showed a power that was not alike anything else, including his Red Dragon's power…" They nodded at that, remembering Derek's tale, "So I was obviously curious and wary of what it was… _sigh_ … eventually when he found out the truth about his blood, it all made sense and I decided to forfeit the search, as I saw no necessity in continuing…" He looked at his grandson, finishing, "If Derek had told me that he wanted to find them, then I would've disclosed the investigation to him, but he never cared, still don't… but things have changed and now, there is need of Lucifer."

Nods followed that statement, with Yasaka being the one that said, "Then, I say that you should be the one dictating this mission…" She was looking at Jonathan, adding to her words, "You're the one that has more clues of what trails to take."

The rest of the leaders nodded at those words, agreeing, with Jonathan sighing, muttering, "Alright then…" His blue eyes then travelled to the new members of the Watch, everyone standing in attention as Jonathan commanded, "You have four objectives on this mission, thankfully, there's plenty of you, so you're going to have to pick the right people for the job…" He was looking at Dulio, adding, "Remember to also leave people on standby, we never know when an emergency might occur…" Dulio nodded, "As for your targets, you will be investigating the places this woman was spotted on…" He leaned on, crossing his knuckles before his face, continuing, "Those being New York, Brussels and Tromsø…" He eyed his grandson, who was now looking at him as he said, "Lastly, a group will head to Bourton-on-the-Water, you're going to visit Mary Philips…" Derek's eyes narrowed at that, an aura of protectiveness surrounding him, confusing everyone as Jonathan continued, "She's the woman that's in charge of the orphanage Derek was picked up from, this group however, will be accompanied by Derek…" He eyed the man in question who nodded, pleased, "As he is quite protective of her."

The leaders were surprised, but they could tell by the way he spoke about the nurse that took care of him when he was a baby, that Derek saw the woman as someone precious, so him protecting her and perhaps even watching over her, was not so outlandish to believe.

"Your assignments are simple…" Jonathan said, earning everyone's attention again as he continued, "Those who go to New York, go to the New-York Historical Society museum, that's the place where this picture was taken…" He glanced at the black and white picture of Lucifer, Lilith and the strange woman, "All museums have a tendency to keep records as old as their foundation, so get those records and focus on the visitors from nineteen twenty-three…" He then focused on their clothes, adding, "Everyone seemed to be wearing heavy coats, so focus on the winter months."

Dulio nodded, asking, "But how do we know what to look?"

Jonathan sighed, saying after, "Focus on finding three people with the same last name, they seem to be there as a family vacation, so they more than likely registered as such."

Dulio nodded, with Jonathan changing the image to the video footage of the woman inspecting the remains of the burnt down hotel, "For Brussels, you are allowed to go into the building, I already informed my men protecting the area…" He looked at the members, continuing, "While her visit occurred twelve years ago, she's most definitely not human, so it's likely that she left some sort of presence or anything that can tell us what she is behind."

They nodded, their eyes now observing the picture the woman with many policemen, the Hamilton patriarch stating, "As for Norway, leave that for last, I have a strong feeling that they are there, but currently, Norway is a strategic point for us Templars, I don't want to screw anything up with them until we're one hundred percent sure they are there…" He focused on them, adding as he pointed at Derek, "Thus, the last group will accompany Derek, when he's free, to England…" They nodded, the man concluding as he leaned on, "If you gather enough information that tells me that I was on the right track with this findings, then I will risk Norway for this, if not, then you'll have to find another way."

"Understood." Dulio spoke for his team. While definitely surprised after being appointed as the leader of such team, he was a man of God and thus, he would follow the command of the man who God left in charge, Archangel Michael.

"Then…" Sirzechs spoke, bringing the meeting to a close when he added, "Congratulations, we're all confident that our trust in you will be heavily rewarded…" He pointed around him then, concluding, "Do please look around and get familiarised with your headquarters, take Grayfia with you, she can show you around…" Grayfia nodded and walked towards them, with the Devil King saying last, "Your mission will begin as soon as possible, but do first get acquainted with one another, you are the future of our species, so a lot is resting on your shoulders."

They all nodded and one by one, began following Grayfia as she led them to the exit of the room, giving them a tour of the castle.

"Do you think this initiative will succeed?" Yasaka asked her fellow leaders, hopeful but still somewhat doubtful.

Azazel sighed, leaning back as he replied, "I do believe so…" He eyed Yasaka, adding, "If they can put their differences behind that is."

"I doubt any of them even know why we were all fighting to begin with…" Michael added, saying after a pause, "But with God's help, I am sure that this will mark the beginning of something beautiful."

They nodded, hopeful. Though as usual, the human side was more critical than the rest, but didn't voiced such as Jonathan stood up, fixing his suit as he said, "Then if you'll excuse us, we've business to attend to."

They nodded, being busy people themselves, with Sirzechs stating, "Of course, thank you for coming personally Jonathan, it means a lot to me."

Jonathan did smiled slightly, surprising them as he said, "This is important work as well, Sirzechs, a united world, with every species living in it, it's most definitely a worthy cause."

With that, they began chatting amongst themselves while Derek approached his grandfather, crossing his arms as he said, "So, Romania?"

Jonathan focused on his grandson, nodding, placing a hand on his shoulder when he replied, "Indeed…" He walked towards the exit then, Derek behind, listening as the elder added, "Come, let us discuss your mission."

* * *

There wasn't really much that Jehovah felt he could do anymore.

He has lived for almost four hundred thousand years. A mere experiment for the being he considered his father, Great Red. He still remember the moment he came to be, an accumulation of energy that condensed and with the blessing of the Dragon of the Apocalypse, later became the being that was named Jehovah.

Funnily enough, despite the fact that Great Red was known to be distant and focusing solely on himself and his dimension, the Dragon of Dragons was in fact the being that 'birthed' Jehovah. It had begun as an experiment, to simply see how limitless his power of creation was, and it genuinely surprised him that he could indeed create life, not just any life though, but divine life.

"Even with your delinquent ways, you were a true bormah to me, Faal Enook…" Jehovah whispered, a small peaceful smile on his face as he sat over the ledge of his special room, enjoying the breeze that hit his face, the same one he has enjoyed for over a millennium now.

He has seen it all, do it all practically. He himself inherited the curiosity of his father, a curiosity that sparked the birth of Lucifer, his eldest son. Like himself, Jehovah had made Lucifer out of his own flesh, a condensation of energy that came to form the very first devil. The birth of every divine dragon was always like that, a dragon with the power to rip a piece of themselves apart, would then be able to condense it and give it their blessing, the recipe to create a divine dragon.

Same curiosity was the one that pushed Jehovah to create a species that held his views, his dreams and hopes, the species that began with the birth of Michael, the very first Angel. His angels then came to be almost on their own, soon enough, there were thousands of holy beings that he'd come to cherish and love with the affection that characterised him.

Though, said affection fell short when compared to the love he had for Lucifer, then Uriel, then Rizevim and lastly Jesus, the only beings that were born out of his own flesh, the only beings that shared his blood, his draconic divinity.

For a time, life was joyous to Jehovah. Back then, he had just pushed the evolution of the first bacteria that will later evolve into what it's known today as Humanity, and their evolution had fascinated God.

It was also the time when his children were all together, without any ambition or dark desire that may corrupt them, only the joy of being young and learning. But as time went by and Lucifer and Uriel grew, so did their power, Lucifer especially became something so unbelievable that Jehovah was sure that he would surpass him, perhaps even reach the level of their very own grandfather, Great Red.

But while it joyed Jehovah to see Lucifer's and Uriel's power, there was someone that felt a lot different.

"Perhaps…" He whispered, a great pain in his heart as the old god continued, "Perhaps it was my fault…" The image of Rizevim always seething at Lucifer and Uriel's power, was something that would never fade away in his heart, as it was a clear statement of the darkness that lived within every draconic being. It became a habit for Jehovah to forget that he and his blood were dragons, humanoid perhaps, but still dragons to the very core. And just like the rest of the draconic family, they were susceptible to corruption by their own immense power.

Perhaps he could've intervened, perhaps there was something that he could've done to not only stop Rizevim from turning into the monster he did, but to stop the difference between him and Lucifer from happening, the one that drove his eldest son away to begin his own species and kingdom. Maybe show them that regardless of power or respect, Jehovah loved his sons in equal manner, maybe dot on them more. But it was all nonsense and he knew that well. At the very core of the being known as Jehovah, he was still a dragon and regardless of how much he tried, power and respect was always their most basic need, the one that could simply never be quelled.

"How I wish I could have them all with me…" The old man thought with eyes closed and a deep sigh, adding to himself with a whisper, "To be a family." He thought of his four sons and grandsons, the Morningstar family that once could be.

"It's a little too late for that, don't you think, old man?" There was a voice that sent shivers down God's spine coming right from behind him. A voice that made his heart ache the second he recognised it.

"An old man like me can dream, my boy…" Jehovah replied, slowly and tiredly standing up, turning behind with a sigh to face the newcomer, smiling still among the pain as he added, "It is normal for a dying soul to think of those he loves."

It surprised Jehovah how Rizevim, for just a moment, actually pouted at those words, leaving the god a drop of satisfaction at knowing that at least, even for just a second, his words actually resonated with him, with the bratty little son that was still within the monster known as Rizevim.

"Your sentimentalism was at fault of your fall, o' father." Rizevim crossed his arms as he said with a devious smirk, not really feeling it but still keeping up appearances, even knowing that his father could easily see through him.

Jehovah walked towards his third son, replying with a small melancholic smile, "And your ambition proved to be your downfall, my son."

Rizevim just huffed, not having anything to say back at that. Despite the fact that the legendary devil had thought of many things to say to his father, now that he was right there in front of him, all of those things simply went away, irritably replaced by the part of him that just wanted to be by his father's side.

Jehovah walked back towards the ledge of this room he had built to rest, crossing his tired arms behind his back, admiring the wilderness before him, eyes half-lidded with a small smile as he asked, "I guess you've come to finally kill me, correct?" He looked at his boy from over his shoulder.

Rizevim sniggered at that, arms still crossed, there was no visible emotion on his eyes, not even the hatred that Jehovah once saw so clearly, "You can't be killed, father…" He walked towards the old man, standing beside him, looking at the forest as well as he added, "You're but an impression left by the real you."

God smiled, nodding, combing his long beard as he added, "Mmm… indeed I am…" Sighing deeply, he looked at the man and despite all the horrors he had caused, God just couldn't find the strength to hate his son, it was even more painful to hate him, "Before you destroy this impression of me however…" Rizevim stared at him, "I'd like to ask a question."

"I just want to destroy everything you've done, father…" Rizevim replied the question before God could even word it, the heart of the old man aching when he saw the monster his son had become once again as Rizevim continued, "There's nothing more to it, I don't want to torture anyone, I don't want to dominate the world, I don't want to fight for eternity like the rest of our dragon kin…" God was then shocked when Rizevim's face changed from that of a hateful man, to that of an excruciatingly tired one, stating with a whisper as he looked at the distance, "I… I just want to end it all…"

It was then that God completely understood what Rizevim's ultimate goal was, whispering as such, "The World-Eater then…"

"The World-Eater indeed…" Rizevim corroborated his father's words, causing a tremendous pain in his old heart.

There was a painful silence after that, Jehovah and Rizevim resorting to simply stare at the distance, a strained bond between them but still the bond of a father and son, one that could just never be broken regardless of the circumstances.

"And what of Derek and Vali?" Jehovah asked, turning to face his son, wishing to know what fate awaited the two youngest Morningstar, already cursed the moment they were born.

Rizevim did remained silent for some moments, that is until he took a deep breath and turned to face his old man, saying with a surprisingly calm expression, "They are the chance…" God was genuinely surprised by that answer, "I am going to play my game, and I am going to make it excruciating for all of those that oppose me…" He sighed, closing his eyes before he looked at his side, towards the forest. It was then that he turned again towards God and with an inhuman speed, he thrust his fist into God's chest, the old man moaning as he fell on his son's embrace who simply whispered serene, "But I am not going to make it unfair."

God embraced his son one last time, feeling the power he had left the impression with, slowly fading away, still smiling as he understood his child's words, whispering, "T-Then… I leave it to you… my c-children…"

It was with those words that he dissipated in a cloud of dust moments later, the last remnants of Jehovah's physical being, now completely gone from existence. Fading right in Rizevim's arms.

There was no joyous laughter, no cruel or vicious smirk on Rizevim's face. There was only the face of a calm and determined individual, one that long ago, had made peace with his dream and what he had to do to achieve it.

"What will you do, my nephews…" He whispered as he slowly walked back towards the entrance of the sanctuary, placing both hands in his pockets as he smacked his foot on the ground, causing the whole place to shake violently and soon begin to give in to his power, crumbling as the Morningstar madman continued his walk, whispering to himself as he left, "What will you do…"

* * *

"Thank you." Natalia said with a dashing smile to the chauffer as he opened her door, her beauty radiating along with the night as she stepped out of the limousine, her dazzling black silky dress hugging her impressive figure like a lover, her blonde hair being combed in an elegant style, a pair of beautiful and luxurious earrings on her lobes, smiling when a man stepped beside her, snaking his arm around her waist as he started leading her towards the Gala currently being hosted in Bucharest's most luxurious hotel.

The man holding her tightly, was none other than Derek Hamilton, wearing a formal black suit, his hair combed to the side, still a little rebellious as usual, but fitting enough for the formal occasion. In Natalia's honest opinion, Derek looked absolutely dashing, a thought that was apparently shared by every woman in the Gala as the moment they walked in, all eyes were on them, the men drinking her looks, while the women doing the same with her partner.

"Who would've thought that the Mafia could throw such lavishing events?" Natalia whispered as she latched herself closer to Derek, smirking at everyone, letting them know she was here with him.

The Gala they were attending, was in fact a meeting of powerful mob bosses disguised as a high-class ball, organised this year by the Romanian Mafia. All around them, were rich people dancing and talking to each other, most of them unaware that amongst them, some of the most infamous mob bosses mingled with them.

"Serves as good front." Derek replied, his eyes roaming the room, looking for his target.

"Mm… let them find you, darling…" Natalia said, Derek looking at her as the woman continued with a sexy smile, "You're officially my mate now and I have this rare chance to be with you alone in my home country…" She grabbed his hand and began leading him towards the main hall, where many couples were currently dancing at the slow beat of the music, "So take me to dance."

Derek just snorted but complied none the less. Just before they had come to Romania, Natalia had a long talk with Derek's mates, he didn't knew much of what they talked about, but she had apparently earned their approval, thus, he was now bounded by his word to make her his official mate once approved.

Not that he had anything against it of course.

The couple surfed through the crowd, Natalia smiling elegantly at the people who nodded at them, while Derek simply nodded back, allowing her to take him wherever she wanted.

Finally, they reached the main floor, with the Vampire Queen turning to face her partner and delicately locking her fingers to his, smiling when he placed his left hand on the small of her back, bringing her close to him and shortly after, falling into the rhythm of the music.

As Natalia gently placed her head on his shoulder, eyes closed, enjoying the dance, Derek caught glimpse of Akio who was currently serving some champagne to a couple of attendees, the woman wearing an attendant outfit, disguised amongst the waiters. Her job required her to go undercover until she could safely approach her target, who was currently enviously looking at Derek and Natalia, two women beside him, hugging him, seemingly unnoticed by the son of Romania's top Don.

He wasn't the only person feeling envious however, as Derek was able to see the saddened look on Akio as she quickly glanced at him and Natalia, the silver-haired male understanding her longing for him.

"How is it that you know him so well?" Natalia's voice suddenly drew Derek's attention to her, the woman still softly resting on his broad shoulder as he led her on.

What Natalia was asking, was how Derek was able to foresee the man's jealousness, as the Morningstar had talked to Natalia about him just before they arrived to the dance. The man's name was Adrian Casimir, son of Matei Casimir, the biggest mobster in all of Balkan Europe. He was also the one that Derek needed Natalia's help with.

Derek huffed, replying with a whisper, "Adrian lived in London back when I was a child, we were in the same school and classroom…" He looked at the man who so far hasn't looked away from him, smirking at the brunette male, infuriating the Romanian even more, "He was the bully of the school when I arrived, tried to bully me, ended up with a bloody and broken nose…" He looked back at Natalia, the woman looking up at him as he concluded, "Ever since, he's had this one-sided rivalry with me… I knew that the moment he saw you with me, he was going to try and steal you away… he's just that pathetically predictable."

Natalia chuckled, sighing, nodding as she continued dancing with the son of her best friend, now turned mate, "Very well…" She whispered before she looked up and kissed Derek's cheek, adding another whisper, "But for now, focus on me and nothing else, your mission can wait a dance."

Derek could only comply his lady's request.

It was genuinely strange for Natalia to be and feel like this. She has never experienced this kind of emotions, something weird flapping within her belly as she slowly moved around with the man she has chosen as mate. She knew that their relationship was meant to be just a little more than a business deal, and frankly, she preferred it that way as she didn't really knew what love even meant, what you were supposed to feel. All she knew, was give and take. Strangely enough, just like dragons choose mates.

There is hardly any conventional love in a dragon bonding, the winged reptiles are too proud to acknowledge any sort of emotion other than pride and strength, and weirdly enough, she felt exactly that way. Perhaps because the blood that gave birth to her kind, was draconic blood.

But for some strange reason, Natalia felt herself very comfortable inside the Morningstar's embrace, rocking around at the slow and personal beat of the music in the background. The beating of his chest against her breasts, the calm and collected breaths that hit her face, his intoxicating scent that filled her nostrils, it all filled her with a foreign excitement that she felt compelled to delve herself in fully, without restraint.

"You know about Vali, don't you?" Derek's sudden whispered question made the Vampire Queen surprised.

But, she had already expected the question, as she knew well that there was no way that someone as observant as the British royal, could miss her recognition of Vali's true identity, one that she was sure the other leaders knew about as well but just like her, decided to be silent about. If Derek hadn't acknowledged him during their meeting, then it was for a reason, and being as brash and resentful as he was, no one wanted to risk anything with the newly revealed Morningstar.

"Yes…" She whispered honestly, opening her eyes, those mesmerising blue orbs aimed straight at him as she added with a silky low tone, "I… it definitely shocked me… I never expected Lilith to bear twins…" Derek hummed, prompting the blonde to add a question, "I guess you left something out of your story, huh?"

Derek remained silent for some moments, sighing before he replied, arms still around her, "It was necessary."

Such a dry response was not one that had Natalia satisfied, thus, she inquired, though still careful not to breach a subject he might be uncomfortable with, "Why?" She still used that sudden tone that appeared out of nowhere, a tone she chalked up to her new status as the man's mate.

And it appeared that her tone worked on him, as while Derek still seemed reluctant, he actually replied his question with the voice of a man confiding on his wife, not a leader to another leader, "One Morningstar out is catastrophe enough…" He did seemed to struggle with the next part, though it was more for the words to use than anything else, "And besides… Vali… he… he has a team… with one of my mates there too, as well as two of my cousins… _sigh_ … but that's all he has…" Natalia was marvelled when she saw, if just a for a bit, a glimpse of emotion in his eyes as he looked at the distance, adding, his hold on her tightening, "I have one of the most powerful militaries, people and organisations behind me, I can face all the dangers that come with being a Morningstar… Vali… he has me of course… but I can't protect him publicly, not now at least… he… he's just not ready to face all the shit on his own…"

It was so strange for Natalia to be able to dissect Derek's true meaning, the hidden truth that laid beneath those harsh words. She could tell, perhaps by the resonance the two shared, that Derek was in fact worried of his younger sibling. It brought a gentle smile to her face to see that the son of her best friend could truly be saved from the darkness he was in.

 _'At the end of the day… he's still a big brother at heart…'_ She would never voice her thought aloud though, knowing full well that Derek will not appreciate the remark. It did saddened her slightly, but she could understand well what Derek was going through. As a fellow leader, she knew the kind of monsters that lurked in the darkest night.

"Thank you…" She whispered, her eyes closing again as her head gently rested on his shoulder, whispering when she knew he was looking at her, "For being honest with me."

Derek did remained quiet for some moments, habits kicking in, searching for a good way to kill the romantic atmosphere that was created by her kind and soft words. But he stopped himself, remembering the promise he'd made to his Harem just a few days ago.

Natalia was now part of said Harem and thus, his promise was also to her. So he shocked her when he replied with a husky whisper, "You're not the Vampire Queen tonight, nor am I the Human God at the moment…" He sighed, still unable to get rid of his frown, not comfortable with his own words but still keeping his vow, "You're Natalia and I am Derek."

Natalia could understand Derek enough to simply remain quiet, still a little shook by his monumental effort to actually be the closest he could to a genuine lover. While no expert herself, she was still moved by his effort, and effort that she greatly appreciated with a small genuine smile. A rarity in her.

"Mr Hamilton…" The dancing couple were interrupted moments later by a young man, dressed elegantly, Natalia able to see the gun hidden inside his jacket, "Mr Casimir would like to invite you to his poker table…" The young man said as he pointed towards a balcony, a blond man raising a glass towards Derek, the young man before them adding, "He will be delighted to share a glass of wine with you, milord."

Derek sighed, nodding, saying under his breath, "Alright then…" He looked down at Natalia, the woman understanding his hidden message, the male asking, "You coming?"

Natalia smiled, shaking her head as she said softly, "I'd like to look around while you play bad boy…" She giggled when he chuckled, leaning on and kissing him on the cheek with a sensual sway, whispering as she did so, "I know my part, don't worry."

As she separated, Derek nodded and fixed his jacket, looking as Natalia walked away with a seductive sway on her hips, hiding his smirk as he saw Adrian immediately following her with his eyes, all falling straight into his plan.

"Lead on." The Morningstar stated to the young man and this one nodded, walking on with Derek in tow.

* * *

"Hahaha! Derek!…" An old blond man said with a boisterous laugh, pointing towards the chair that was left unoccupied on his table, adding as the Hamilton entered the VIP room, "Please, please, take a sit, my young friend…" He smirked then, gesturing towards the stack of money placed on the middle of the table, adding with a challenging tone, "We were just about to raise the stakes."

Derek huffed as he sat, thanking the waitress when she brought him a glass of wine, not worrying about any kind of poisons or substances his drink may have, his draconic physiology made it impossible for any foreign substance in his body to survive. But taking his hand to his pocket, he took out his wallet and grabbed a good chunk of cash, throwing it at the table, smirking as he grabbed five cards, "I like the way you think, Don Matei."

As the Romanian man chuckled and the game of poker continued, the blond man smirked as he questioned the British, "I must admit, I was very surprised when I saw you walking through the door…" The Hamilton focused on Casimir, listening as the mobster added somewhat wary, "I am sure we are up to date with our… _tribute_ … to you, government fellas."

Derek rubbed his nose, eyes cold and dull, throwing a card as he looked back at the gangster, replying, "Oh you are, I'm not here to…" Everyone in the table felt a small shiver as the Hamilton spoke with a smirk, "Reprimand you, Matei…" He sighed, taking a sip of his wine before he added as another player drew his card, "I'm here for two reasons, which I'm sure my uncle Victor already spoke to you about."

Matei's eyes widened along with the rest of the gangsters with them, with the Romanian man actually gulping as he said with a bittersweet smirk, "I see… so you're really going against the European Union, huh?…" Derek smirked, earning a sigh from the Don before he added, "What is it with you Brits and your obsession with ruling all?" He sniggered bitterly, not sure if his words had pissed off the man before him.

Much to everyone's relief though, Derek chuckled, nodding as he simply uttered, "That is just the British way…" Drawing another card, Derek returned to his impassive posture as he added, "The terrorist attack in London has already sparked a sense of defensiveness in the British people… it has also spread the flames here in the eastern bloc…" The silverette narrowed his eyes, concluding sternly, "We simply need you to fan those flames."

Matei leaned on, eyes wary, asking for clarification, "You mean… you want me to arm the people?"

Derek nodded, stating after, "You will be compensated of course…" He took another sip, looking around, his eyes narrowing when he saw that Natalia was already engaged in a chat with Matei's son. Keeping his smirk to himself, the Hamilton turned back to the mafia Don and added with a warningly tone, "Do not shed blood though, not Romanian, nor foreign, we're trying to make this… takeover… as quick and clean as possible."

While not happy, the Romanian Mafia couldn't really do much against the Hamilton. The British rulers had been incredibly smart when their Empire collapsed, as instead of simply accepting a secondary seat, the British immediately pounced on the Mafia clans all over Europe. Controlling crime, gave you as much power as any throne.

 _'There's a reason why Empires are always portrayed as evil… and British…'_ The Don obviously kept that to himself, as while sure that the Hamilton will agree with his thinking, Matei wasn't so sure he would appreciate the commentary, "Very well then, it shall be done…" He said, keeping his thoughts to himself. Though, the Romanian did asked after a pause, "You said you had two reasons to come here, what's the second?"

At that, Derek let out a bit of his Morningstar aura, just to make them subconsciously submissive to him, knowing that the mobster won't be forthcoming with information regarding his primary target, "Ah yes, well, it's a simple matter related to a relic…" He narrowed his eyes, Matei confused, "A World War Two object…" It seemed that the Romanian was still confused, so the Hamilton was a little more explicit, "Bell shaped."

Matei couldn't avoid tightening his jay for a millisecond, relieved that he was able to stop any reaction from showing, knowing that the Hamilton would be able to see any movement on his part, "Bell-shaped World War Two relic, you say?…" The Don played it off, leaning back as he shook his head, seemingly ignorant, "I'm afraid I have no clue what you're referring to, Derek."

Unfortunately for Matei, Derek did caught the movement on his jaw. That was all that Derek really needed, he knew that Matei was not going to let anything out about a treasure of such value, he doubted there was anything more valuable in the world than said relic. So even if the Hamilton family themselves came knocking on your door to ask about it, Matei would do all on his power to keep the relic in his power.

But with his reaction, Derek had a confirmation that indeed the Romanian Mafia had the relic, "I see then…" He whispered, seemingly disappointed. His eyes then roamed to the main hall, looking at Natalia who was now chatting with some other women, Matei's son no longer with her. That and the fact that Akio's aura was no longer in the building, meant that the mission was a success, "Then perhaps, we were misinformed."

Matei felt relieved inside when he saw the genuine disappointment on the Hamilton's face, sighing, playing his cards as he stated, apparently supporting, "I think so, something as important as what you seem to be looking for, would be immediately turn over to your family, Derek, you know that."

Derek eyed Matei with a look that made everyone nervous, until the Hamilton smirked somewhat amicably, stating with a nod, "Ah yes, you and your men have always been… reliable."

Matei nodded, shocking himself at how collected he was able to maintain himself at the moment. He had no idea how Derek did it, but despite being so young, the boy was absolutely terrifying. It was as if there was something so sinister around him. Matei genuinely didn't know who he rather deal with at this point, Derek or Jonathan, both, in his honest opinion, were the same kind of devil.

Derek then threw his cards to the table, losing the game, drinking the rest of his beverage before he stood up, fixing his jacket as he said, "Well then, I must go back to my date for the night…" He looked at Natalia who smiled at him, the Hamilton saying after, "It was a pleasure, gentlemen."

The gangsters in the room nodded nervously as Derek walked towards the exit, stopping just right beside Matei who said with a friendly tone, though there was some wariness hidden within his words, "Are you staying in Bucharest for the weekend, Derek?"

Derek stared at the Romanian with a blank face before he tilted his head and ever so slightly smirked, his hand going to the man's shoulder, a statement of power over him when the Hamilton asked calmly, "I am indeed, Matei, is there a problem?"

It took all of Matei's experience to remain calm under the direct pressure of the Hamilton, shivering slightly but still able to smile at the boy and pat his hand, trying to play it off as a friendly gesture, "Not at all, just wanted to know in case you wanted to come by again, I have many things that may make your visit more… pleasurable."

It didn't took a genius to understand what kind of pleasure the mobster meant, as some of the women present in the room were smiling at him sultrily. But deciding to just play along, the Hamilton took his hand off of his shoulder and said as he resumed his exit, "I shall consider it, good day gentlemen."

He didn't bother to look back as he left the room, the dragon in him was telling him to kill them and stop their human trafficking business, but the rational side of him knew that it wasn't just that simple.

Taking his phone as he walked back to Natalia, he dialled a number, waiting a few rings until the voice of Akio was heard saying, " _I'm at the clothing store babe, but they only have black suits, do I buy it?_ "

While Derek hated to use this sort of word play, it was necessary to throw off any suspicion, as the Romanian's had the building wired and with a system that allowed them to intercept and listen to every call. Thus, code words were needed.

" _Yeah, that's the one…_ " He said, approaching Natalia who smiled as she saw him, walking towards him while Derek added to Akio, " _Though, John knows that I want the suit, so make sure to at least get the measurements before he moves the suit to another store._ "

He could picture Akio's smile on the other line, the woman always loved this role playing games, mostly because she always ended up being his wife, girlfriend or mistress in these things, " _Alright babe, I'll call ya if I need ya._ "

Derek just nodded and hung the phone, Natalia now in front of him, snaking her arms around his arm, her face now next to his as she whispered, "Shall we go?"

Derek just nodded with a sigh, wanting to go and have some rest in the hotel. Though now that he smelled the scent of the woman next to him, he could tell that resting was the last thing she had in mind.

* * *

Derek sighed as he sipped his whiskey with a delighted moan, enjoying the burning sensation in his throat as the liquid travelled to his stomach. The breeze of the night hitting him was also a wonderful sensation, the silverette currently looking over the city of Bucharest on the balcony of his suite in the hotel, now only wearing his pants and unbuttoned shirt, relaxing after meddling with the Mafia of Romania.

He was also constantly monitoring Akio through the feel of their connection, which despite all Akio did in the past, still existed. Derek knew why it did and he was considering that perhaps, it was time to just let it go and free her completely from the guilt she still felt. Alice may have forgiven her, but Derek has yet to acknowledge it from his part, it weighed on her mind heavily and he knew it, as tonight showed when he was dancing with Natalia and Akio was simply looking over the corner of her eyes with a small grimace, longing.

But for the moment, he focused on her mission, which was to assert where the relic was and possibly get the blueprints if she found them. Though Derek had instructed her to keep watch through the night, as Matei was sure to move the relic somewhere else, knowing exactly that Derek was going to look for it. Akio's job was to let him know when the relic was on the move and then, they'll hijack it.

"Umm…" The sudden feminine voice of the other occupant in the room drew Derek's attention back into the suite, his eyebrow raising when he saw the wonderful view of Natalia straight out of the shower, wearing nothing but a thin gown that made out the outline of her body, the woman biting her lip as she looked away, a small blush on her face as she whispered, surprisingly abashed, "S-Stop staring so much…" She squirmed, feeling the lust of her new mate as he devoured her with his eyes.

Derek smirked slightly, snorting as he asked, amused, "Really? The legendary Natalia Dracul, Queen of Vampires, is feeling shy?"

Natalia pouted and walked towards him, hitting him on the chest, drawing a chuckle from him. The woman then simply got close to him, burying her head in the nook of his neck, saying with a blush and timid tone, "S-Shut up Derek!… I… I a-am…" She closed her eyes, whispering the last of her confession, "S-Still a… v… _gulp_ … v-virgin…"

Now, that was shocking for the Morningstar. He never thought that a woman that was over a thousand years old was still a virgin, more so when it was a vampire, who were known to also be quite depraved, "Well… that's a shock…" He looked down on the woman who still refused to look up at him, commenting with a small smirk, "I would've guessed that you were already quite experienced."

She sighed, biting her lip, stating after a moment of silence, still embarrassed, "It's not because of a lack of candidates…" She felt a shiver when Derek snaked an arm around her waist, continuing, "I just simply never felt like it…" She looked up this time, still blushing but now determined to make her point clear, "I've always been focused on leading my people, I had decided back then to just explore sex with someone I… the one I'd choose as my mate."

Derek and Natalia remained staring at each other for some moments before the Hamilton broke eye contact with a gentle huff, saying, "I've always been curious about that…" Feeling Natalia's confusion, he looked down at her to explain his words, "I mean, how do pure-blooded vampires have sex? You need blood to get it working, pure-blooded vampires don't have blood, so how do males reproduce?"

Natalia giggled, resting her cheek on his shoulder as she replied, "True, technically, male vampires have a dysfunctional penis…" She sighed, continuing after a pause, "But a little after our creation, some of the most knowledgeable vampires created a potion that worked for a while, though it lasted very short, males needed to finish quickly to impregnate the woman…" She shivered as a cold breeze passed through her gown, Derek walking them both inside, still in his arms as she added while he closed the balcony's door, "The potion worked for reproduction purposes, but for those who wanted lustful, casual and dirty sex, it was useless, it came to a point where female vampires would rather reproduce with other species than their own."

Derek's eyebrow raised, intrigued, asking, "That sounds like a crisis."

Natalia nodded, saying, "It was…" She then walked towards the bed, sitting, a little embarrassed by how her skin was showing to the man towering over her, adding with a whisper, "That was one of the reasons for why my father called yours, the day he met Lilith…" She looked up, finishing, "Lucifer then created a pill that fixed that, it needs blood of any kind to work, the pill simply sends the blood to the penis and voila, you have an erection."

Derek smirked, now above her, shocking Natalia at how small she felt as he leered over her, the man closing their distance, his hands on his pockets, now breathing right next to her ear. Despite being over a thousand years old, Natalia couldn't help but pant at the new sensation he made her feel when he whispered, "I bet it pales in comparison to a dragon erection though."

 **LEMON START**

Natalia felt her chest so heavy as she whispered, gently falling down on the mattress as Derek pushed her with his body, blues locked to blues, "R-Really?…" She winced at how innocent she sounded, but truthfully, she had no clue about sex, none at all.

Derek chuckled viciously, his hand gently tracing the woman's thighs, eliciting a moan from her as he whispered right next to her ear, his body now fully on top of hers, "Really…" He began to grind his hips on hers, the woman's eyes widening as she felt something solid rubbing against her, the silverette smirking as he questioned, "Can you feel it?"

Natalia could only pant as her hips grinded on their own, already feeling the cold breeze of the room hitting her most precious spot that now laid uncover, her gown parting to let the Morningstar man in, eager, moist.

"Y-Yeah…" Lucifer be damned, she hated herself right now. She felt so absolutely helpless and needy, not even able to control her own body as it relentlessly screamed for the man on top of her, "D-Derek… come on… d-don't keep me waiting…" She moaned pathetically, biting her lip as she eyed her man with lust-filled eyes, absolutely enamoured by the guy.

Derek chuckled viciously, still grinding his hips but now taking her hand to his bulge, using her fingers to unzip his pants, smirking as she gasped when he used her hand to free his member, the woman's eyes focused on the appendage she knew existed only by text books.

He continued to use her hand to stroke himself, the woman seemingly lost in the heat embracing her hand and hips, eyes locked to his penis and nowhere else, "You wanna skip the foreplay, blood-sucker?" He whispered suggestively on her ear, greatly amused by the complete turn of attitude in the woman, a measly pudding at the mercy of his touch.

Natalia could barely think straight anymore, not even noticing when Derek opened her gown to reveal her breasts, pressed tightly against his chest, still stroking him on automatic, capable to whisper a simple, "Y-Yes…" She managed to look back at him, emboldening herself to rub the tip of his member against her entrance, whispering with a sweet tone that she was sure only he will ever hear, "W-We have an eternity for foreplay…" She moaned as she introduced the tip, wincing a little as she added, locking her blues to him, "R-Right now… I just w-want you… need you…"

That was it for the Morningstar, whose draconic-self took over the moment he heard the neediness of the woman he already saw as his.

Knowing the pain she was about to be in, Derek suddenly thrust inside her vagina with a ferocious push, the woman actually moaning in both pain and pleasure as she felt something tearing within her, holding her man tightly, both out of an indescribable need of him and support, the pain too fresh to let him do anything else.

Derek complied, remaining still as he held her, listening to her breathing steadying for some moments until he heard her faintly saying, "D-Darling…" She began grinding her hips, moaning, adding, "Do it… mark me…"

Those magic words flipped a switch in the silverette who just growled lowly, sending shivers down her spine before she began to moan increasingly as he drilled her, beginning slow, her hands messing his back.

She was sure that everyone in the floor could hear her when Derek increased his speed tremendously, as she was now on her fours, her head plastered on the pillows while her butt remained up, the Brit royal pounding on her core over and over again, messing her up badly in every way she could think of.

She offered no resistance when he snaked his arm around her belly and pulled her up, a feather practically as he continued to penetrate her viciously, Natalia screaming in both pain and pleasure as he sat her on his lap, the downward movement causing a particular deep stab inside her vagina, causing a sudden orgasm that surprisingly, left her unconscious for a couple of seconds.

When she came back to herself, she was received by the amused chuckle of the Hamilton who was now pounding on her doggy style, the woman able to recover some of her wits as she said between moans, "H-H-Hey… _auu…_ d-don't laugh you… _hmmm_ … d-dick…" Saying that word made her suddenly aware of the member still within her, sending her blushed face to the pillows again, embarrassed but in an absolute bliss that she would cherish for the rest of her life.

The merciless pounding continued for who knows how long, Natalia could barely stay awake as her body received the blissful punishment of having a dragon as a sexual partner, absolutely sure that there was no other species in the planet that could have sex in such bestial manner. She felt almost like a fricking sex-doll.

"You… _uuu_ …" She tried to say, now on top of him, her back pressed against his chest while her butt bounced on his lap, looking at her side to face her lover, faces so close that they could feel each other's hot ragged breath, "Y-You better not b-break your promise t-to… _hmmm_ … t-to me… I-I…" She suddenly felt herself too embarrassed to continue, shocked to hear the almost unnatural attitude of her. She was about to say something that she wasn't too sure Derek would like.

But Derek understood what she was trying to imply, and while it did not made him entirely happy, she was his mate now, and he had promised to do better for them. So holding her even tighter, he increased his thrusts in such a manner that she couldn't keep her composure and began moaning again, tearing up as the Morningstar whisper on her ear, "You have my word." Right about when he pierced her with one last deep thrust.

Natalia couldn't keep her brain up as she felt a sudden rush of heat flooding her womb, gagging, her head thrown back over Derek's shoulder, twitching as he finished releasing his sperm inside of her, the woman feeling such rush that she couldn't even feel Derek's teeth sinking onto her flesh, marking her as his and him as hers for eternity.

 **END LEMON**

As usual, the sudden rush of emotions and sensations proved to be too much for the newcomer Vampire Queen, and immediately after her high, she fell like a feather onto Derek's chest, in a blissful sleep, still twitching a little but eventually settling down with a content smile on her face.

Derek panted a little, tired, gently pushing Natalia aside and covering her with the sheets, brushing some strands of hair as she slept, her post-coital beauty being something undeniable. A hidden hobby of his, was to always stare at his women after a night of passion, seeing their completely satisfied expression filled him with a sense of accomplishment.

But almost as if the plot required it, his phone rang from his pants laying on the floor, forcing the Morningstar to sigh, knowing who it was.

He just leaned on Natalia, whispering, "Sorry Nat, but I gotta go." Despite still being in a deep sleep, Natalia seemed to sense his words, as she frowned a little, curling.

Derek just sighed and surprising himself, he just leaned on and kissed her forehead, the smile back on her face as he frowned, standing up from the bed and putting his current thoughts aside to grab his phone.

 _"The suit is on route, feel me up and I'll meet you there."_

Was the message he read from Akio, "And the show goes on…" He whispered with a tired sigh before he turned his demeanour back to his real one, that of the Human God. This mission was a pivotal one for the Templar cause, and as a fervent believer of his Order, he would do his best to see it succeed.

* * *

Akio didn't even flinched when she felt a presence behind her, her eyes kept on the truck that's currently being loaded with a huge heavy crate, a couple of men sliding it carefully into the trailer's huge box, a young man she recognised as Adrian Casimir leading the operation, with a young black woman and a slightly older tanned man eyeing the procedure intently, their guards up, expecting anything.

"Did you took good care of her, Boss?" Akio didn't know what drove her to sound so bitter with that, but it automatically came out. She just refused to look at him, not afraid but rather embarrassed.

Derek just sighed as he stood next to her, on the edge of a building's roof, eyes falling into Matei's son as he replied his subordinate's question, "Yes Akio, I did…" Knowing that she was biting her lip in frustration, the Hamilton brought her back into their business as he commented, "I see that Adrian acted exactly as I expected."

Akio too managed to put everything bothering her in the back of her mind, huffing with a smirk as she said, "Yeah, Natalia didn't even need to do much, just allure him a little bit and soon enough, the idiot was trying to impress her with this…" She looked at her boss, adding, "Telling her all about how he was in charge of a millionaire operation in his father's workshop… didn't took me long to find the place."

Derek snorted, shaking his head, amused at how easy to predict the young arrogant man was, always resorting to use his wealth to impress someone out of his league, "Those two…" He said then as he narrowed his eyes at the woman and man standing behind Adrian.

"Yeah… Illuminati…" Akio whispered, biting her lip as she eyed Derek, asking, "Ya think Matei's working with the Suits?"

Derek shook his head, explaining, "Matei is smart, but he's not smart enough to know about our little secret world, he probably believes he's just making a profit selling the Relic to some American millionaire…" He stopped when he caught a whiff of a scent he recognised with ease, his eyes narrowing at the distance, adding, "Did you planted the explosives?"

Akio's eyes widened a little, looking at Derek confusedly, but still answering, "Yeah… I put them below the truck's box as you said…" She tilted her head, looking back at the truck that was now starting, the two Americans and Adrian inside now, the tanned man being at the wheel, "I thought the plan was to retrieve it, not destroy it."

"It was…" Derek replied, going back to the truck as it began to move, "But it seems that would be impossible now…" He crouched, his aura flaring, turning battle-mode, "You did retrieved the blueprints, right?"

Akio smirked, grabbing a tube-like container from her back pocket, showing to Derek as she said, "You know I did."

Derek smirked at the blackette, saying with a ferocious glance, "Then there's no need to hold back…" As the truck left the workshop, Derek focused back on it, laying out the plan quickly, "There is a third player around, so we need to draw them out first… I'll attack head on, take care of the Suits and Adrian, and get the thirds to show…" He looked back at his once lover, speaking after the pause, "I have a feeling we're about to encounter an old friend…" Akio's eyes widened when she realised who Derek was talking about, "So the moment he shows, blow it up, I'll make sure it's completely destroyed."

Akio just sighed with a terse nod, whispering as she prepared herself, "Whoever's accompanying him, will surely come for me."

Derek stood up, grabbing his Ghost mask form his pocket and donning it, looking at Akio as he said, "Yeah, but I know you can deal with it…" He shocked her greatly when he caressed her cheek, Akio's eyes widening when he leaned on her ear and whispered, "You're my mate after all."

Akio couldn't even speak or move as Derek disappeared from sight, her emotions threatening to take over her control as the flood came hard. But conjuring all of her training throughout the years, she managed to control herself. Though the huge smile on her face and glassy eyes, were things she could not fight off, "God dammit, Derek…"

* * *

"I seriously don't see why go through such pain to relocate this piece of junk…" Adrian said annoyed, a big frown on his face as he eyed the obscure road, adding, "I fail to see how anyone could steal it that easily… that thing is massive."

The dark-skinned woman next to him scoffed, biting a toothpick as she said with a rough tone, "Easy there brat, the Hamilton is in town…" She narrowed her eyes at the road, an uneasy feeling in her gut as she added, "Anything can happen with that Prince around."

The mere mention of Derek made Adrian's blood boil, tightening his fists as the memory of being rejected by the Brit's date replayed inside his mind, " _Huff…_ Please… what could that dumbass do?…" He eyed the two Americans, who just snorted at his words, the blond Romanian adding, "Besides, he's probably getting his tiny prick wet with that whore of his."

The tanned man driving the truck chuckled, shaking his head as he said, "Brat, you should kn… ugh!…"

Everything happened so fast for Adrian, as he barely saw how a bullet suddenly went through the front window and straight into the driver's skull. His sudden death provoked the wheel to be stirred violently, forcing the heavy truck to take a sharp turn that overcame its strength and ended up sending the truck rolling down the abandoned highway, thrashing violently for some moments until it came to a full stop, crashing against a pole.

It took Adrian some seconds to come back to the world, a huge pain on his side assaulting him as he slowly opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings, "W-What the fuck…" He mumbled when he realised that he was still inside the truck, the vehicle ending back on its wheels.

"G-God dammit…" He heard a feminine voice complain beside him, belonging to the female escort his father had appointed to accompany him with the cargo, "Fucking knew it." She added as she unbuttoned her seatbelt and painfully got out of the cabin, immediately drawing her weapon and taking cover behind the truck, dragging a whining Adrian beside him.

"H-Hey!…" Adrian said, wincing as he was thrown to the ground, the woman kneeling beside him, her eyes roaming all around them, "What the h-hell is with you, woman!?" He asked, trying to get up.

The woman quickly pushed him down though, whispering harshly, "There's a fucking sniper out there! Sit down!"

Adrian though, tilted his head, forcing his way up as he asked annoyed, "Sniper? What the heck are you…"

The woman quickly kneeled and took cover as Adrian was suddenly hit in the head by a bullet, forcing a whisper out of her, "Fuck, fuck, fuck…" She gulped, sweating, not knowing what to do, straining her senses to try and get a grasp of the shooter's location, "Where the hell are you, motherfucker?" She whisper, peaking her head out just a little bit.

"Behind you."

The sudden voice startled the woman and forced her to whiplash her head back. Too late though, as Derek had already put a bullet in her head, killing her instantly.

"Now, where are you?" Derek whispered to himself while he looked around, knowing that someone was observing him intently. But deciding to ensure that the cargo was indeed what they were looking for, Derek walked towards the box's doors, opening them, narrowing his eyes as he saw a damaged metallic box, tightly held to the floor by many straps, some already broken after the crash.

The Hamilton stepped into the box and walked towards it, inspecting the material, knocking the surface a few times with his knuckles, stating behind his mask, "Hmm… titanium… reinforced with a layer of tungsten… too much for any regular cargo…" He narrowed his eyes then, his fist suddenly becoming surrounded by black fire, the heat in the atmosphere augmenting as he whispered with eyes narrowed, "Not strong enough to keep me out though." Whit those words, he cocked his fist back and punched straight through the hard material, the safe being no match for a god like himself, giving in as Derek tore the door off his hinges, throwing it outside the truck.

As Derek carefully removed the hay that covered the prize, his eyes narrowed when he was met by a huge bell-like object, metallic, some parts of its body rusted, but there were two things that miraculously still remained intact. The ominous feeling the strange object produced, and the carved swastika on its surface.

But, just as he expected, he felt a familiar presence landing some metres away from him, a growl coming from outside, forcing the Hamilton to close his eyes and sigh, a little disappointed that he was going to have to destroy the Relic so soon, "Either it stays in Templar hands or none…" He walked out of the box, adding as he looked at the adversary, "We still got the blueprints, so that's good."

As he walked towards the contender, the trailer behind him suddenly exploded, with Derek throwing a dragon shot in the mix to ensure that no trace of the Relic would remain.

When the explosion lighted up the empty highway, Derek stopped some metres away from the adversary, a gruff looking man, hair almost white, eyes completely empty, his skin a sickly pale, but his muscles and power still exuding like a beacon.

Derek just narrowed his eyes, now red, looking ominously through the holes in his mask, the roughly painted skull adding to the frightening image of the being once known as GhostOne, now face to face with his old comrade, "It's been a long time, Niko…" Derek couldn't help but feel slightly excited though. Throughout the years, Niko was truly one of the very few that could actually make him sweat and struggle, having beating him even once, "For the good 'ol times." Derek commented before he disappeared in a flash, intending to hit the corpse of the man formerly code-named GhostFive.

* * *

"Fucking sick bastards…" Akio mumbled after she pressed the button in the explosives' remote, shielding her eyes for a moment to avoid the blast's flash, her eyes once again setting on the figure of her once teammate Niko Kozlov, currently locked in a fierce fight against their former leader.

"I see now, you were simply drawing us out." A feminine voice drew Akio's attention to her back, already alerted of her presence long ago.

Thus, Akio turned calmly towards the woman behind her, a smirk on her face as her eyes settled on the figure of a beautiful tall woman. She examined the adversary, Akio feeling suspicious as she glanced at the woman's long hair, a silky shiny grey, just a shade lighter than Derek's. Her eyes were also strangely familiar, bloody red with a black slit as pupil. The woman's outfit was a beautiful black and red Victorian-style royal suit, golden ornaments adorning the dashing outfit, a sheathed rapier at the side of her waist, the woman's hand currently resting on its hilt, ready for action.

Akio returned her eyes to the woman's own, commenting with a shrug, "You Novum filth should already know by now…" She smirked, her hands going to her pockets, a magical strip surrounding her right leg while she brought it forward, adding with a vicious tone, "The Boss is always ahead."

Akio was wary when the mention of Derek seemed to cause a slight tightening on the woman's jaw, her red eyes travelling towards the dragon in question for just a second before they went back to Akio, the woman drawing her rapier as she said, "Yes, he does seem to always know what to do…" Suddenly, a blue aura surrounded her body, her eyes shining a dangerous red and as she pointed her sword towards Akio, the woman asked, "I doubt he destroyed the Relic just to stop us from taking it, I take it you have the blueprints that mysteriously disappeared then?"

Akio though just smirked even wider, tilting her head as she said, "Before I kick your sexy ass, may I know your name?" There was something about this woman that made Akio's gut tickle, something very familiar.

The silver-haired female seemed to hesitate for a moment, but seemingly coming to a decision, she just replied, sword still aimed at Akio, "Selvaria Bles, and you Akio Fudō, shall die by my blade."

Akio chuckled, welcoming the challenge with an amused, "My, my… how dangerous…"

The agent's eyes went slightly wide however, when Selvaria suddenly disappeared from sight, appearing right next to Akio in a matter of seconds, her rapier already in the midst of a dangerous swing aimed right at the blackette's side.

But having trained with Derek for so long, Akio was able to surprise Selvaria as the half-Asian woman did an impressive side-flip, going over Selvaria in a single move and with great speed, Akio sent a powerful kick towards the silverette's back the moment she landed.

But it was then turn for Selvaria to impress, as she used her elbow to parry the kick, both women wincing at the strength of their blows, separating and regaining their stances, eyes completely locked towards each other.

"Funny…" Akio's voice made Selvaria a little wary, listening as the blackette continued with a strange smirk, "That move you just did… it's an awful like one of the Derek's own…" Smiling playfully, Akio tilted her head, asking with a strange tone of voice, "Though that move should only be known by one person… but that's just weird… I mean… she's dead."

Selvaria knew Akio well enough to know that the blackette was a damn playful and noisy cat, it wouldn't take long for her to connect the dots. But, the woman once known as Vanessa Jones, also knew that not answering her question with anything, would only help Akio solve the puzzle, "It's normal for an enemy to study their adversaries thoroughly…" She quickly remembered all the lessons the love of her life gave her, somehow putting her pain aside as she continued, "That I am your enemy, doesn't mean I do not respect Mr Hamilton, he's the peak of our species and as a swordswoman myself, I can only admire the man I aim to kill."

Despite her attitude, Akio was genuinely confused by this woman. There was something about her that rang a bell within Akio's mind, but she still couldn't really grasp it, "Makes sense." She conceded.

Was all the Ghost woman said before she leapt towards Selvaria and with her magically reinforced her kick, landed a vicious hit on her opponent, who quickly brought her arm up and parried the strike with her forearm.

 _'Damn… no wonder she's considered the strongest human female there is…'_ Selvaria thought as she felt the inhuman strength behind Akio's kick, knowing well that had it not been for Derek's blood, she wouldn't have been able to fight against Akio on her own.

But not wasting any time, Selvaria used the fact that Akio was currently in a lock and quickly brought her rapier to try and stab the blackette.

Akio cursed as she barely managed to lean back, the tip of the rapier still leaving a thin trace on her belly.

Jumping away, Selvaria seized the fact that Akio was taken aback by the slash and with incredible speed, she made a dash towards the blackette, jumping and with her rapier up, she brought it down on her opponent, intending on burying her sword deep in Akio's skull.

She was surprised however, when Akio parried her strike with two black daggers, the playful woman smirking as she said within their stalemate, "Congrats, you made me use my daggers, not many can say they have."

Selvaria smirked, stating, "How honoured."

Using the powers bestowed to her by Derek's blood, Selvaria concentrated her aura on her arms and hands, her strength increasing substantially, forcing Akio to grit her teeth and use her daggers to redirect the slash and try to kick the silverette's feet.

But Selvaria was able to leap back, avoiding the low-swing kick. Using her momentum, Selvaria tried to pin Akio's foot on the floor with her rapier, but the blackette was faster than her and as she avoid the stab, Akio threw a dagger at Selvaria, successfully hitting her on the left thigh.

 _'Damn… as I thought…'_ Selvaria thought to herself as she took the dagger out of her flesh and threw it aside, jumping back to a safe distance, adding as she eyed Akio with narrowed frustrated eyes, _'I still can't control my power enough to fight her on my own… need to retreat now'_

"Recognising a losing battle, I see…" Akio commented with an infuriating smirk, her hands back into her pockets, now in a relaxed stance, smirking at the swordswoman as she added amused, "It's okay, I can tell you're inexperienced with those strange powers of yours…" Picking up her dagger, Akio smirked at Selvaria one last time before she started walking away, commenting nonchalantly, "Hopefully, when we meet again, you'll have full control of your power, I do look forward to that."

Clicking her tongue, Selvaria turned her power off, commenting somewhat irritated, "So you're just letting me go like that?" It pissed her off but honestly, she was going to take the chance. As of this moment, she was still no match for her, she even shudder at the thought of how she'd fare against Derek himself.

Akio stopped, tilting her head and as she shrugged, said, "Yeah, I don't really know why but something tells me I shouldn't kill ya…" Looking at Selvaria over her shoulder, Akio smiled viciously and when she stepped over the ledge of the building, left some words before she jumped off, "Not now at least."

Selvaria just stared at the spot where Akio was just moments ago, surely heading towards her love. Now that she was alone, she put her embarrassment and frustration to the back of her mind as she allowed herself a glance at the man she loved, still fighting Niko, a pang in her heart but gathering strength, she uttered, "Remember why you did it, Vanessa… remember…" With that, just as she arrived, she was gone with the wind, vowing to come back stronger than ever.

* * *

Derek grunted as he jumped away, avoiding Niko's fist barely, the zombified beast of a man ending up hitting one of the walls beside the road, destroying it without effort.

"Fucking hell…" Derek uttered before he delivered a vicious kick to Niko's side, the dead man grunting as he was sent skidding some metres, grabbing his sides as his dull eyes settled on his former leader, "Miyo is getting better at her craft…" He narrowed his eyes as Niko charged at him like an enraged bull, the Russian male throwing a punch that Derek avoided by leaning his body slightly, using his elbow to deliver a painful hit on the larger man's arm, the sound a bone breaking reaching the Hamilton's ears, "But still, without Niko's mind…" He grunted as he punched the man's gut with draconic power, sending Niko flying back, rolling around the ground while Derek added, a little winded, "This is just a brute without control… what is it that you're aiming for , Novum?"

The Morningstar knew that there was something off. Niko was strong, and he proved it as he stood up and charged at Derek again, both of them locking into a flurry of fists, some of them even landing on Derek's body, strong enough to push some blood out of his mouth. But even so, if Derek was to get really serious, there was no chance that Niko could take him on, not when he can't even think for himself.

Derek got a huge punch on his face, the force behind it being enough to cause some serious pain in the son of Lucifer, enraging him, growling and as he went back up, his fist got coated in flames, cocking it back and with a silent boost, he thrust it right at Niko's chin, the impact being vicious enough to make a loud crack as Niko flew back, jaw broken, rolling until he crashed against the remains of the truck.

Derek's eyes narrowed when he saw Niko entering the sea of flames that was engulfing the truck, no signs of him for a couple of seconds until Derek's ears caught a noise that made him look back quickly, his eyes settling on a distant plane that was flying over Bucharest at quick pace.

Only then did Derek realised that during all of their fight, Niko was pushing him further away from the destroyed truck. But it was too late as another sound made him turn back and see how suddenly, a hook with a steel rope was shot towards the sky.

The plane intercepted the hook and using its momentum, lifted off a burnt Niko from the wreckage, Derek cursing as he saw the zombie carrying what it looked like a core of some sorts, probably from the Relic itself.

Grabbing quickly his gun, Derek aimed it at the rope and shot it multiple times, but the rope being too thin and moving so violently due to the wind, it made it impossible for him to strike it. Thus, he changed his target to Niko, but the bullets simply sunk in him, causing no harm to an already dead man.

"Fucking hell…" The silverette whispered irately, knowing that due to the restrictions placed on him in the human world, he couldn't risk chasing the plane by flying himself. With all the mobiles and cameras in today's age, someone was bound to get a glimpse of him.

"Derek!" Akio came rushing at him, panting, wary of Derek's reaction. While not completely played by Novum because they were most certainly after the Relic as a whole, the secretive group still managed to pull one on the Templars.

"It doesn't matter anymore, Akio…" Derek began saying, the sound of sirens at the distance forcing him to walk towards Akio and hold her by the waist, teleporting them both out of sight, "At least we got the blueprints, I doubt there's someone with them capable to recreate the Relic with just the core." He said once they reappeared at the top of a building, far from the highway that was shortly flooded with policemen and fire-fighters.

As Derek released her, Akio looked at the highway as well before her eyes travelled to the sky, where the plane had disappeared, biting her lip when she asked, "I'm not so sure about that though, I think they were stalling, buying time for the plane to arrive."

Derek nodded with a sigh, his blues going to Akio, still wearing that mask that reminded her of the darkest version of her love, asking, "Talking of which, what happen to your opponent?"

Derek was not a fan of letting people go, he was a man that always put secrecy first, therefore most of the time any kind of witness, innocent or not, would usually end up dead at his hand. That's why Akio did gulped, scratching her scruff sheepishly while she whispered, laughing nervously, "Y-Yeah… about that… I… umm… I l-let her… go…"

Derek's aura leaked ever so slightly at that, not angry, but annoyed. Long ago had he learnt that he couldn't really come to lash out against the women he considered his, "I take it you have a good reason for that?" He still asked with a low tone, arms crossed before his chest, expectant.

Akio took a deep breath before she focused on the man and replied, still a little nervous, "There was something about her… something… familiar…"

Derek's eyes twitched, intrigued, taking off his mask and as he walked towards the edge of the building, he said, "Tell me about it on the road."

Akio just nodded, jumping right after Derek, still feeling like Selvaria had a different objective all this time.

* * *

" _So, you got it?_ " A feminine voice said from the other end of the line, relaxed but with a tint of eagerness in her alluring voice.

Selvaria could almost imagine Mei playing with her auburn hair right now, pleased with the mission. While not a complete success, they still managed to succeed in one and a half of their three targets, "Yeah, Matei kept it in a vault somewhere in Siberia… he considered it his most precious treasure." Selvaria replied, looking out through the window of her room, still in Bucharest, it wasn't safe for her to leave on her own just yet, she needed to wait until Derek was gone.

" _Hmm…_ " Mei hummed before she chuckled, adding, " _If so, then I take it you had to go… far… with him to get such information._ "

Selvaria gagged, replying, "Hell no, he did put his hands on me, but thanks to Derek's blood, he fell in love with me in an instant…" She thought of Derek, biting her lip as she added, "I don't think I would be willing to cross that line if I had to."

Mei was silent for some moments until she said, understanding, " _Then let's hope you never have to… you have Derek's blood, with your looks and his aura, you should be able to get anyone dancing on your palm without the need to sleep with them…_ " Sighing, Selvaria listened as her new leader added, " _As for the book, we have the rare opportunity of being the only ones privy of its existence, we must take this chance._ "

"Got it." Selvaria said, jumping on her bed, laying on her back, an arm over her eyes while her phone remained at her side.

After a brief pause, Mei spoke again, " _What did you do with Matei?_ "

Selvaria sighed, answering, "Nothing, it would've been a huge red flag for Derek if he comes to Romania to find that Matei was dead, I had to play hard to get with him to keep Matei off my back while Derek was here…" She sighed, closing her eyes as she continued, "But I doubt Derek is going to let him off, he already killed his son, Matei was not going to be happy about that, so surely, Derek's going to deal with him…" She looked at her side, finishing with a whisper, "If he hasn't already."

A soft giggle from Mei's end, was followed by her saying, " _Ah yes, the always vicious Human God…_ " A silence followed that statement, only broken when Mei sighed and added, " _Get back here as soon as you can then, we already have at least the core, so there's nothing else left in Europe for us… a little bird told me that Britain's campaign is about to begin, so I don't want anyone interfering with it, we don't wanna get caught in the crossfire just yet."_

Selvaria's eyes opened, sitting up, surprised and biting her lip as she felt melancholy for her nation, asking with a whisper, "Against who?" Her eyes where aimed at the window, nervous. Being an enemy of her home country, resulted harder than she initially believed.

Mei seemed reluctant to reply, probably because she knew Selvaria well enough to know her thoughts. But still, after a deep long sigh, Mei whispered something that shook Selvaria's heart, " _Europe._ "

* * *

Kushina could easily count with one hand the times she actually felt this nervous about something. Though, she could hardly blame herself, as she was one hundred percent aware of the massive obligation she was about to take, the path that she could never go back from, since for a Templar, there was only the Order or nothing.

"Relax Kushi…" Her sister's voice sounded beside her, the redhead being enveloped in a loving embrace by her elder sister Yasaka, who was thankfully allowed to observe Kushina's initiation, immensely grateful to Derek and Jonathan for letting her being here for her sister in such crucial moment in her life, "Where's that fiery redhead we all know and love, huh?…" Yasaka kissed her sister's forehead, grasping her by the cheeks as she added with a smirk, "You're the most determined person I know, get that fire that characterises you out, sister."

Kushina did felt a wave of reassurance after her sister's words, smiling, hugging Yasaka tightly and asking as they embraced, her voice a tiny whisper, "Are you fine with this, Yasa?…" Kushina closed her eyes, tightening the embrace, adding, "You know… I… I'll be a Templar and nothing more…"

Yasaka did sighed at that, for a moment considering perhaps telling her a little white lie. But the Yōkai Queen decided that her sister was now old enough to deal with truths, so the blonde replied honestly, "I'm not thrilled of course…" Pushing Kushina just a little away, enough to grasp her shoulders, the elder Uzumaki smiled and continued saying, "You're my baby sister and I would love to have you by my side forever, but I know this is something you want, this is your path Kushi and you should follow your heart…" Caressing her cheek, the blonde finished with a smile, "Derek and I reached an agreement and he is my mate now, he made a promise to do everything in his power to keep our sides in good terms and I believe in him completely… believe in your Master as well, okay?"

Kushina smiled at that, nodding, whispering back, "Yeah… you're right… that's what I'll do 'ttebane!…" Yasaka smiled as she saw her fiery sister return, taking a deep sigh before the redhead walked towards a door, stopping just to say one last thing to her sister, "I'll see ya on the other side, 'kay?"

As Yasaka nodded with a smile, Kushina looked at the front once more and with a deep inhale, she opened the first door of her Templar trial, stepping into an empty corridor, the door closing behind her, with the redhead whispering after, " _Sigh_ … I wish Master was here…" It was a little saddening for Kushina to hear from Jonathan that Derek couldn't make it to her initiation, but she took consolation in knowing that he believed in her, thus, she had to do her part to prove that her Master's trust was in the right place.

As Kushina's mind went back to the now, she began walking through the corridor, a little weirded out by its emptiness, not even a gentle breeze of air present.

Just as Kushina finally reached the other end of the corridor, where an empty wall awaited her, she began to look around, confused, until Jonathan's voice was heard, seemingly from nowhere in particular, " _From the very first moment our Order came to be, Arthur Pendragon instilled three values into our brotherhood, values that have lasted through the years without compromise…_ " As he said that, twelve symbols appeared on the wall before Kushina, startling her a little but she quickly regained composure, listening as Jonathan continued, " _A regular soldier knows well which symbols to pick, but you're not a regular soldier, you're the apprentice of a Knight Templar, therefore you must prove that you don't only know which are those values, but that you also know exactly, what they mean to each other._ "

As Jonathan's voice faded away, Kushina took a deep breath, happy to know the exact answer to her leader's question, "The values of our Order are knowledge, power and order, each feed each other, a step by step to our ultimate goal…" After she spoke, the Uzumaki eyed the symbols until she found one with a line intertwining itself into a three pointed star, touching the red-glowing symbol, saying, "Knowledge is the first step to take…" Her eyes then went to one at the bottom, finding the classic symbol of England, the royal lion, "Through knowledge, one achieves power…" Her violets roamed the wall for a moment before they settled on their last objective, the classical Templar cross, pressing her hand over it and stating, "And through power, one achieves order."

Just after she pressed the last symbol, the wall before her began to lower, opening a path for her to continue her way, now entering what it seemed to be a huge library, countless of books all over the walls, four floors tall.

The redhead amazed as she looked around, unable to comprehend how a place like this was possible since as far as she was aware, she had entered a simple office inside a warehouse.

" _Knowledge is intangible…_ " Jonathan's voice was then again heard, saying, " _It holds no direction, no will, no intent, no purpose other than to serve as cornerstone between two worlds, the old one and the anew…_ " There was a sound coming from the middle of the room, drawing Kushina's attention, marvelled as a pillar with a small diamond bowl at the top rouse from the ground, Kushina able to see red liquid filling the bowl when she walked towards it, Jonathan speaking again, " _The blood before you, contains the knowledge of Templars from the past and today, engraved in the essence of your sponsor…_ " Kushina's eyes widened at that, her sponsor being Derek Morningstar himself, " _Drink it, feed on his knowledge and embrace it._ "

Kushina gulped as she stared at the red liquid, taking a deep inhale before she sank both hands in the blood and scooped up some of it, lowering her mouth to first lick it tentatively before she drank it whole, gulping it down with eyes closed, the metallic taste leaving a sour feel in her mouth.

The taste was the last of her worries however, as all of a sudden, an incredible heat travelled through her throat and stomach, Kushina dropping to her knees as she screamed in excruciating pain, her head being assaulted by the most painful headache in her lifetime.

She saw millions of things, places, people, wars, hatred, love, sex, pain. All of it condensed in seconds that to her, seemed like centuries of pain, tears falling from her eyes while she did a gigantic effort to not smash her head against the floor in a vain attempt to stop the torture.

Fortunately, the pain went as it came, disappearing along with all the visions, letting a shaking and weak Kushina who couldn't move an inch for quite a while.

* * *

"Kushina…" Yasaka whispered, biting her lip, a hand on her chest as she tried to keep herself composed.

She was currently alongside Jonathan Hamilton in a separate room, observing Kushina's initiation through a large screen. Seeing her baby sister suffering in such brutal manner almost broke her composure, near to jump in and protect Kushina.

"If her will is strong…" Jonathan said by her side, posture stiff, eyes void of emotion, looking at Kushina with genuine curiosity, wondering if perhaps she'd make it, "She will survive."

Yasaka feared the answer to her question, trying to stop her mouth from uttering it, but it was too late, "And if it's not?"

Jonathan didn't even flinched when he replied, "Then she'll die."

Yasaka wanted to scream.

* * *

 _'C-Come on Kushina…'_ The redhead said to herself, frustrated at her inability to move, some tears still falling as she began to feel like perhaps, Derek was wrong about her, maybe she wasn't cut out for being his apprentice, his sword, to be with him…

 _'NO!…'_

As if a hidden strength from within her was released, Kushina slowly began to kneel, her head still on the ground before she used her arms to lift her shoulders up, groaning as she did so but still determined.

 _'I am Kushina Uzumaki…'_ She said in her mind as she struggled to stand up, her legs feeling like jelly, using the pillar as support, _'Derek Morningstar's apprentice…'_ With some inhuman effort, she finally managed to stand up fully, grasping the pillar tightly to stabilise herself as she stated with utmost determination, "And a god damn Templar 'ttebane!"

As if speaking a set of magic words, a wall on the far side of the room lowered, the library shaking a little as a new path was opened for the Uzumaki that while she slowly walked towards it, she could even feel Yasaka's relief from down here.

" _Power shares many similarities with knowledge…_ " Jonathan's voice rang throughout the new room Kushina found herself in now, the woman now a little more composed, straining her eyes to try and make out anything in the darkened room, " _Coming in multiple shapes and forms that ultimately give you different paths to follow…_ " She heard the sound of rock grinding against rock, Kushina's violets narrowing as she saw a light shining over a pillar, a large case with what she could tell were thousands of pounds in it, Jonathan saying, " _Sometimes it comes in the form of money, money that you can use to buy your way to your goal…_ " A pillar arose next to the first, another light shining upon it, showing a small set of golden tools, the Hamilton patriarch continuing, " _Sometimes it comes in the shape of knowledge, science, technology, the art of creation, the ability to analyse, create or destroy any obstacle in your path…_ " Kushina turned her head slightly to focus on the new pillar, this time, there was a beautiful white cape with golden adornments atop of it, fitting for the mightiest of Kings, " _Other times, it comes in the shape of charisma, attraction, beauty, manipulation, the ability to gather masses and use them as your weapon, to fight and die for you…_ " Kushina was then attracted to the last pillar that rouse, this time, sustaining a rather plain looking sword, white in colour, the blade looking brand new but strangely dull, " _Most times however, it comes in the shape of destruction, death, domination._ "

Kushina walked tentatively towards the pillars, looking at the four she knew where her options, options to decide her path and what kind of Templar she wanted to be.

It wasn't a harsh decision for Kushina to be honest, she had no interest in business or the criminal word, neither did she had the brain to become a scientist or medic, much less the charisma to actually lead a nation. But she definitely had the fire to be a warrior of the highest calibre, one that could make her sister and Master proud.

Thus, Kushina reached towards the blade, but stopped when Jonathan stated, " _Commit to it._ "

Kushina froze, slowly understanding what the Grandmaster of her Order was asking of her. Thus, she took a breath and moved her palm towards the edge of the blade, grasping the metallic part of the sword tightly and with a silent wince, she slid her hand over the blade, leaving a nasty trail of blood coating the sword.

But much to her surprise, as she retrieved her hand and grasped it tightly, the sword seemed to be absorbing her blood as it glowed a shiny gold, blinding her a for moment. When she was able to look at the blade again, she was amazed by its transformation.

"Whoa…" She whispered as she gingerly grasped it, inspecting it eagerly. The hilt of the blade went from a lifeless white, to an intricate arrange of red with golden chains engraved to its design, the crest of her family marked in the golden pommel, the guard being nothing short of royal. As for the blade itself, it was now a beautiful dark golden, with intricate red symbols marked on the metal.

Just when she finished inspecting her new weapon, the wall on the far side of the room, followed the same process than the previous ones, prompting Kushina to grab the equally beautiful scabbard on the pillar and sheathed her new sword, walking towards the next stage of her initiation.

It was confusing for Kushina when she entered an entirely different place from those before, as instead of being in just a room or library, she seemed to be in a small sized coliseum, her violets roaming around the strange structure until her ears picked up the sound of growls and struggling.

Her eyes widened when after she reached the ledge of the balcony she was in, she observed that at the centre of the coliseum, there was a scaled down version of a jungle, a couple of trees and rivers, some parts filled with greenery while others were slightly devoid of plants.

But the main focus of her attention, were the two tigers currently engaged in a fearsome battle to the death. Roaring, slashing, biting, nothing was out of bounds for the two wild combatants, the felines' eyes filled with anger and determination to kill the other.

" _As you have chosen the path of destruction…_ " Jonathan's voice won Kushina's attention again, listening as the old man explained, " _You must understand that destruction it's not inherently bad, it can be used in many ways, both for good and bad…_ " Her violets went back to the two big cats, with the Hamilton saying, " _It can be used to create disorder, but it can also be a force of order…_ " Kushina was genuinely confused by this test, but thankfully, Jonathan elaborated on her task, " _Basically there are many ways that you can use destruction to bring order… One, you use it as a tool of fear, tyranny, you show you have the ultimate power and you threat everyone to unleash it upon them if they fail to maintain order…_ " Kushina's mind was working over time, " _Two, annihilation… why struggle when you can simply get rid of the problem?…_ " She gulped, not liking that path, " _Three, you use it against them and threaten their existence, thus, they will be forced to choose between cooperation, or death…_ " She did not liked that one either, her heart was compassionate, she would like to help those who needed it instead of harming them, " _Or perhaps…_ " Kushina turned to the sky, not really knowing where Jonathan was but figuring he might be up there somewhere, " _You can find your own path._ "

"What?…" Kushina whispered to herself, utterly confused, her violets were locked to the fighting tigers who refused to give, both being as determined to kill each other as they were when she entered.

 _'Analyse the situation…'_ Aleister's words suddenly came to her mind, replaying one of their lessons, her eyes widening when she remembered the rest, _'Sometimes, what you need to attack is not the obvious.'_

Her brain began working overtime, analysing the field and the animals within it, trying to figure out why the two tigers were fighting.

Her eyes widened when she got it, "Territory!…" She bit her lip, eyes on the field, "They're fighting over territory…"

With the situation analysed, Kushina now focused on how to resolve the issue with her power, going over multiple scenarios and each of their repercussions, wanting to keep both tigers alive and well.

It took the redhead quite some moments, this one being the hardest of her trials so far. But almost as if by chance, she smiled and declared, "That's it!…" She jumped to the ledge and as she crouched, she unsheathed her brand new sword, channelling her chakra on it, the blade beginning to be coated with a powerful white light, Kushina's smile wide and as she jumped towards the field, she cocked her sword over her, swing it down with a fierce declaration, "Stop fighting 'ttebane!"

Her swing released a powerful slash of energy that hit the ground right in the middle, both tigers leaping back to avoid harm, but the small jungle shook as Kushina's insanely powerful attack literally split the earth in two, throwing up dirt and smoke all over the arena.

Kushina covered her eyes from the dirt, waiting a couple of seconds until she opened them again, smiling widely when she saw a huge crack now dividing the jungle in two.

The two tigers approached the edge of their respective sides, looking down on the deep crack before they focused on one another and after a tense silent exchange, both tigers retreated into the depths of their side, no need for fighting anymore.

"YOSH!…" Kushina cheered loudly, a huge smile on her face as she jumped, elated, feeling proud of herself at the moment, "I did it! I brought order without causing anyone harm!" She added, so happy that for the moment, she completely forgot about her fatigue.

" _You did, Kushina…_ " Jonathan's voice was heard then, prompting the woman to stop abruptly as she had forgotten that there were people watching, shrinking herself with a blush while the Hamilton continued, " _Now, proceed to your last test._ "

Kushina shook her head, sheathing her sword as she said with a tiny stutter, "Y-Yes!"

Like the previous instances, a wall opposite to her, lowered and opened a path to her final destination, a little nervous about it because she was sure that the past three, would be nothing in comparison to the last.

* * *

"Will she be able to overcome her last test, I wonder…" Jonathan mumbled, arms behind his back, posture still straight and unemotional. Though, there was genuine intrigue coming from his voice, probably at the prospect of his grandson having another outstanding apprentice. Those didn't come around often.

Yasaka turned to her fellow leader with uncertain eyes, biting her lip. Her blues then turned back to the screen, widening them when she saw the person awaiting for her sister, inhaling nervously as she whispered, "Do your best, Kushi…"

* * *

"M-M-Master!…" Kushina exclaimed, eyes wide in shock, skipping some heartbeats as she looked at the man awaiting for her in the last room, Derek Morningstar himself, leaning against the wall with a calm expression, a small smirk on his face when he saw Kushina, "Y-You're here…" She whispered, still stunned.

Derek snorted, straightening up and walking towards her, the woman shaking a little when Derek stood right before her, saying, "Of course, you didn't thought I was going to miss my student's initiation now, did you?"

Suddenly, Kushina felt tinny, wiggling, biting her lip as she fiddled with her fingers, smiling with a nice blush on her cheeks, looking down as she whispered, happy, "N-No… I… I didn't…" She did of course, but to know that she was wrong, made her very happy.

Derek just snickered as he shook his head, turning around and once he reached the centre of the room, which was a white room with nothing but walls, he looked back at Kushina who was now looking at him, "You've impressed me with your decisions, Tomato…" Kushina did inflated her cheeks, but remained quiet as the man continued, "But now is time for the real test, to see if you actually have what it takes to be a Templar."

Derek's eyes made Kushina stand in attention, all her emotions put at the back of her mind for now, ready to prove herself to her Master, "Yes!" She claimed, still nervous, but now with the boost of having Derek here with her.

Derek stared at Kushina for a moment, inspecting her, finding it strange that he actually wanted her to succeed, _'Let's see how much you believe in your ideals then…'_ He thought before he nodded and snapped his fingers, an opening suddenly appearing on the ceiling of the room, an object falling through said opening right beside the Morningstar with a heavy thud.

Kushina's eyes widened along with her gut twisting as she recognised that the object was in fact a man, currently thrashing on the ground, his hands and feet tied tightly with ropes, a bag on his head that kept his identity hidden. It seemed that he was also being silenced with a cloth, as his desperate voice came out like mere mumbles.

Derek walked towards the stunned Kushina, the redhead's eyes falling onto her Master who stood before her now, reaching beneath his coat and after a second, he took out a gun, handing it to a wide-eyed Kushina who could comprehend what was next.

As he practically forced Kushina to grab the weapon, Derek stood behind her, using his arm to lift Kushina's and aim at the pleading man, his voice a deadly whisper right next to the Uzumaki's ear, "Kill him."

Kushina's eyes and mouth widened after that, shaking as Derek stepped away, "W-W-What…" She whispered, absolutely unsure of what to do.

Derek stood right next to her, Kushina turning her head to face him as he repeated, "I said kill him, plain and simple." Derek's voice was so cold and his eyes so dull that it frightened Kushina, reminding her of the man that tortured Sayid and killed his wife in the name of a revolution.

She turned her head back on the man, hearing him whimper, making it even more difficult for Kushina to know how to proceed, "W-Why?…" Her mouth said on its own really, gulping as she realised the implications of what she was saying right now, "What d-did he d-do?" She knew she shouldn't question her superiors, but she couldn't stop herself from asking, it wasn't in her nature to be this heartless.

Derek's eyes narrowed with a venom that made Kushina's heart sink, realising that she was disappointing him, "Your superior is telling you to kill this man, it's not your place to question why…" He walked towards her, the posture of a General as he stood right next to her, saying to her ear with the chilling tone she's only heard him use on his enemies, "Are you going to disobey, Cannon Fodder?"

The absolutely dehumanising way in which the man she admired referred to her, almost made Kushina burst down into tears, but somehow she managed to remained relatively composed, lowering her hand and head, already resigned to whisper a defeated, "I-I… I c-can't do it…"

Derek's aura leaked like a volcano, walking to stand behind the paralysed frightened figure of Kushina, the Morningstar leaning to whisper right behind her ear, his voice filled with venom, "I didn't catch that, repeat it."

Kushina could only close her eyes tightly, disappointed and heartbroken, but still replying truthfully, "I s-said… I c-can't do it, sir…"

"Why not?" Was Derek's dry question.

"B-Because…" Kushina bit her lip, shivering, but still able to reply without deceit, "That's not what I believe in… s-sir…"

Kushina closed her eyes when she felt a wave of coldness over her, already knowing that she had disappointed him and that probably, would have to go back to Japan after this.

But so much was her shock when she felt something tiny and cold hit her collarbone, her eyes opening warily until they widened as she saw a collar with a silver cross now on her neck, the cross she recognised as once belonging to Vanessa Jones.

Kushina turned around to face Derek, utterly confused, whispering wide-eyed, "S-Sir…"

"Congratulations Kushina…" Derek actually rewarded her with a small grin, showing her his pride over her, adding, "You have now officially reached the rank of Templar Initiate."

Kushina was too stunned to move, her hand subconsciously grasping the cross on her collarbone, whispering, "I… I d-don't understand…"

Derek sighed and walked towards the still whimpering man, looking at him before he focused on Kushina, explaining, "The test was not to see if you were capable of doing as you're told regardless of the action…" The redhead's eyes widened, "The test was to see how faithful to your own beliefs you are…" He walked towards her, continuing once in front of the fox yōkai, "You're not meant to be mere cannon fodder Kushina, you're meant to be a great asset to our Order, one that should know what to do and how to act without a Knight needing to tell you…" He looked back at the man, adding, "Blind obedience is detrimental to our cause, if we have an army full of drones, we're risking some power maniac take control and use the blind trust to their advantage…" He looked back to her, "A soldier capable of thinking for themselves, to question their superiors and follow their own beliefs, helps us reach an understanding…" He balled his fist, bringing it forward as he spoke again, "While we won't shy away from forcing unification, the ideal thing is to reach it through understanding rather than pacification… the former could only work until the people get tired of the regime, the latter though, could last for centuries."

Kushina's eyes widened as she realised the true meaning of the Templar's goal, "Order… it's our goal… through any means necessary…" She looked at her Master, finally enlightened and fully understanding her Order, "Including friendship."

Derek chuckled at that, smirking as he said with a raised eyebrow, "That's a quite cheery way to put it… but yes…" Derek smirked, looking at her violets as he concluded, "Any means necessary."

Kushina smiled and then went on her knee, like a knight, bowing to her Master, her head down as she said, "Then I, Kushina Uzumaki, promise to protect our cause and follow your lead, through thick and thin…" She looked up, finishing with a determined look, "As your apprentice and sister Templar, Master."

"Stand up." Derek said.

Kushina did as told, standing straight before him.

Though she felt a blush on her face when Derek stepped close to her and snaked an arm around the small of her back, pushing her tightly against his chest, her hands grasping the fabric of his coat as her eyes remained locked to Derek, her body hot all over while she whispered wide-eyed, confused, "M-Master?…"

Derek just smirked, his free hand now cupping Kushina's cheek, sensually leaning on her face, Kushina feeling so confused but still, automatically puckering her lips, riding the wave.

Though Derek just passed her mouth and went straight to her neck, opening his mouth and in a swift move, he sunk his teeth on her neck, transferring his essence in her.

"Aaahh…" Kushina moaned, tightening her grasp on him as she felt an incredible hot rush flooding her whole existence, her feet like jelly, only standing because Derek kept her up.

Once finished, Derek pushed Kushina back a little, the woman panting, her face as red as her head, her breasts pushing over his chest.

His charming smirk didn't help relieve the heat in her navel at all though, as he stated with a husky whisper, "You are now my apprentice Kushina, we're connected for ever, use our connection wisely."

Once she could finally stand on her own, she looked down, still feeling so hot after such intimate event, "T-Thank you… M-Master…" She still whispered, deciding to focus in something else for now.

The wall on the far side came down as well, Kushina's eyes travelling to it and as she saw her sister smiling, Kushina walked towards her, embracing the Yōkai Queen, with Yasaka saying honestly proud, "I'm so proud of you, Kushi, I knew you would pull it off."

Kushina smiled, tightening her grip on her sister, whispering happily, "Thank you Yasa, for believing in me."

"Well done…" Jonathan's voice made Kushina release her sister, bowing at her new leader with utmost respect. The elder Hamilton was smiling slightly, taking his hand beneath his coat and after looking for something, he took out a red armband with a Templar cross embroidery in black, giving it to Kushina as he said, "You will be under the direct command of Derek from now on, so your obligations will be appointed by him…" Kushina took the cloth and bowed, eager to begin her work, "But for now, you should go and celebrate, this is a great achievement in your life and with the war that's to come, you won't be having much free time, enjoy what you have right now."

"Thank you, sir." Kushina bowed again as she said gratefully.

"Yasaka, Kushina…" Derek suddenly spoke, drawing the attention of both women as he added, "You should head out first, there's something I must discuss with my grandfather."

Both women were a little disappointed but still heeded him, bidding their farewells and walking out of the room, heading towards the Hamilton house to have a little celebration for Kushina.

"So…" Jonathan began saying, walking towards the man that still remained bounded on the ground, adding as he looked down to him, "I take it you couldn't retrieve it then?"

Derek shook his head, crossing his arms, resting on his right foot as he replied, "No, too many inconveniences around, apparently Matei was working with the Illuminati…" The Morningstar eyed the man thrashing, adding, "Whether he knew about their true identity or not, I don't know."

Jonathan nodded, asking, "And Novum?"

"Were there as well…" Derek replied, narrowing his eyes as he continued, "With a revived Niko…" Jonathan sighed, "Had to destroy the Relic, but they somehow managed to retrieve the core, don't know what they can do with it though…" Derek reached for his coat and then took out a tube, tossing it to Jonathan as he concluded, "Without the blueprints, I mean."

Jonathan nodded, opening the container and reaching for the enrolled paper within it, smirking as he unrolled it and analysed it with his blues, "Ah yes, Hitler's ultimate weapon…" He looked at the blueprint of the bell-shaped object, the infamous Nazi swastika printed at the top left corner of the paper, the Hamilton adding, "The Die Glocke."

Derek nodded, inquiring with a tilted head, "Can we build it?"

"Oh, I'll make sure we can…" Jonathan stated, pleased with the outcome, trusting his grandson's judgment fully, "As for our little Matei here…" The elder then added when his eyes travelled back down to the roped man.

Jonathan kneeled and removed the bag from the man, revealing a severely bruised Matei Casimir, eyes wide in fear.

Jonathan removed the gag then, allowing Matei to stutter out, "M-Mr Hamilton… w-what…"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Jonathan interrupted the Romanian, stating with a cold tone, "To be playing with the Illuminati… such a bad behaviour must be punished, Don Matei."

Matei looked at Derek, panicked before he looked back at Humanity's top honcho, pleading, "I d-don't know what you're talking a-about! I swear!… all I know is t-that you killed my son! W-Why!?"

Jonathan sighed as he stood up, walking towards Derek who handed his grandfather the gun, the black-haired Brit cleaning the cannon, eyes focused on the weapon when he replied, "Ah well, there was need for new leadership, Mr Casimir…" Jonathan then looked at Matei, concluding with a small smile, "After all, we're starting a revolution here."

Matei's eyes widened, pleading, "N-No! Wait! I'll…"

He couldn't speak because Jonathan had already put a bullet in his head, ending the man's life in cold blood.

Jonathan sighed, holstering the gun back on his belt, cleaning invisible dirt off his hands while he said to his grandson, "Come Derek, we've much to discuss."

Derek nodded and as Jonathan walked away, the son of Lucifer followed behind his human grandfather. He still had some free time left before he had to meet up with Akio, he had something special for her.

* * *

Akio could easily count with one hand all of the times she actually felt this nervous, heck, she was sure there were only two times her heart beat like this. One when her clan forced her to kill her very first man at the tender age of twelve, her duty as the heiress of the Fudō Clan, a pillar within the White Lotus. And two, the time she was inducted into Ghosts, still shivering at the memory of the horrific trials the man she was to meet put her through.

But this kind of nervous was a whole different beast.

"Come on Akio…" The blackette whispered to herself as the lift continued its course to the top of the building. The woman was currently wearing a set of casual clothes, a pair of blue jeans that accentuated her behind quite well, a yellow loose top with a black bra beneath it, a black leather jacket to shield her from the cold night of Luxembourg. Her hair was now tied in a ponytail, two bangs at the side of her face, made up with just a tiny bit of makeup, mostly lip-gloss, "Don't get your hopes up yet…" She tried to convince herself.

But the agent formerly known as GhostThree couldn't help but be hopeful. Derek had reclaimed her back in Romania, she was absolutely sure she didn't imagined it. And now, just as they got back to Luxembourg to initiate Kushina, Derek told her to meet him at the top of the Cravat, in the Presidential Suite.

Despite the almost obvious invitation to resume their relationship, Akio was so fragile when it came to Derek and her feelings for him. Her actions five years ago still weighed so heavily on her, mostly because while Alice has already forgiven her, Derek has not, and she honestly find it hard to believe he ever will. Because there was no one more precious to the Morningstar than Alice, and Akio had hurt Alice terribly, despite her good intentions.

"He's probably going to give you a mission, that's all…" Akio mumbled to herself as she stepped out of the lift, gulping, shivering in fear or excitement, she did not know, "You're still the woman that almost took Alice from him." Her heart sank at her own cruel words.

Before her own thoughts could turn any darker, she suddenly found herself right in front of the door to the room the man of her thoughts was occupying. With a shake of her head and a deep sigh, she balled her fist and knocked the door, biting her lip in anxious anticipation.

"It's open." Came a masculine voice from inside the room.

Akio just inhaled and without wasting any more time, opened the door and stepped inside the room, her eyes roaming all over the luxurious place, trying to find her leader, "D-Derek?" She hated herself for stuttering, but she was just too nervous, almost forgetting to close the door behind even.

"The balcony." Her leader's voice resounded once again, the woman turning to her side towards where she could see a sliding door opened, the beautiful night skyline of Luxembourg peaking its face through the opening.

Gulping, Akio walked towards the balcony, her confident smirk appearing once again in an effort to fool Derek, a façade to hide her current anxiousness, "Hey Boss, what is…" She stopped mid-sentence when once outside on the balcony, her eyes widened as she saw Derek leaning against the ledge of the terrace, a glass of whiskey on his hand, wearing only a pair of black jeans and a royal-blue shirt, the top buttons left unattached, showing his muscular collarbone to her, "W-What i-it's going on?" She whispered, biting her lip, confused and even afraid. The intense rush of emotions that assaulted her the moment she saw the man she loved, almost threatening to take over her actions.

To be frank, this was a pivotal moment for the Morningstar and as he sighed, drinking his whiskey with eyes focused on the night, he finally came to terms with the fact that he didn't had much time left, so might as well try to be a man his women felt happy to love, regardless of his own inability to actually change, he could at least try.

Thus, as a heavy silence fell upon them, with Akio keeping her tender eyes locked to the man, unsure and nervous, Derek simply placed his whiskey glass on the ledge and walked towards a table at the corner of the terrace, stopping just in front of a machine Akio could tell was a portable speaker.

Derek rested his weight on the table for a second to sigh before he spoke, "I realise how unfair and hurtful I am to you…" Akio's eyes widened, her heart skipping beats as the Hamilton continued, "To Seek, to Rias, Tiamat, Tsubasa, Akeno, Kuroka… perhaps to Yasaka and Natalia as well…" The blue-eyed male then took out his phone from his pocket, unlocking it and as he rubbed his thumb over the screen a few times, he continued, "I realise how much I've hurt you unnecessarily, not just now after your betrayal, but even before that, through the years we were together and I always told you that you and I were merely fuck-buddies…" Akio could already feel the tears falling as Derek pressed his phone, a single guitar sound coming from the speaker, a riff she recognised well.

"D-D-Derek…" Akio whispered, not knowing if the man in front of her was the real Derek or not. Though his scent told her he was the real deal, his actions were so foreign of him.

Derek walked towards her, Akio too stunned to do anything as Derek now faced her, faces millimetres apart from touching, whispering as both soldiers locked eyes, "Seeing the look on your face when I danced with Natalia…" The black-haired female began to struggle for air, blushing very brightly as he continued, "It made me remember the promise I had made to the other girls, to do better, to be better for them…" He snaked an arm around the small of her back, bringing her close to him, while his free hand left gentle touches on her right arm, Akio unwilling to look anywhere but his eyes, "Saying that that's just the way I am, no longer cuts it."

" _Almost heaven… West Virginia…"_ The lyrics followed, drowning the background with the sweet sound of country music.

"You remember that song?" Derek asked, face still somewhat devoid of emotion, but Akio knew that it was simply because Derek didn't know how to show them, or perhaps even feel them.

Akio though, almost automatically, placed a hand on his chest, the other one grasping his, interlocking fingers as she whispered, eyes still wide and glassy, "Y-Yes… at the bar in West Virginia… w-when we met Aleister for the first time…" She began to swing as Derek gently moved along with the music, softly, a simple waltz almost.

" _Life is old there… older than the tree…_ "

Derek nodded, looking at his side, sighing before he asked, "And do you remember what happened on that bar while we took a break from the mission?"

" _Country roads… take me home…_ "

Akio's eyes began to tear up as her grip on him tightened, mouth slightly agape, whispering almost unbelievingly, "W-We kissed…" The memory was so vivid for her, even today, "For the first time…" It was perhaps her most treasured memory, the day she gathered the courage to let her feelings out for him. She might have masked them as a simple thirst for a good pounding, but it was good enough for her anyway, knowing how uncaring he was with such things.

" _West Virginia… mountain mama…_ "

"Yeah…" Derek said, his face turning back to face her, his hot breath causing such a strong rush in her that it was almost unbearable to sustain, "And ever since, we've been through a lot, you and I…" She leaned on him, closing their distance, "Good and bad, as allies and foes."

Akio felt so light right now, so naked, so weak, so in love, so much so that she could only close her eyes as he kissed her like never before, the kind of kiss she's wanted from him since she could remember.

"I don't know how to be thoughtful…" Derek whispered to her ear after the kiss, Akio's eyes wide as she rested her face on his shoulder, listening when he continued, "I don't know how to show my feelings to you or how to act on them…" He tightened his embrace, the woman silently sobbing out of happiness, "I can only ask the same I asked the others, to let me try and show it my way."

In that moment, as her favourite song continued playing on the background, Akio cried like never before, feeling finally back home, in the embrace of the one person that believed in her before anyone else, that helped her find a new purpose and that despite his rudeness and brutality towards her in the past, was always there when it mattered. There she understood what he was trying to say, in his own cold and uncaring way, and she responded accordingly.

"For as long as life permits it." Was her ginger whisper, her arms around his neck, face still buried on his shoulder, kissing him there, enjoying this dance she was sure, she will remember for the rest of her life.

"Country roads…" Akio then began to whisper along with the song, happy like never before, "Take me home, to the place, I belong…" She felt every little word, Derek snorting and shaking his head as she blissfully sang, "West Virginia… mountain mama… take me home…" She kissed him again, whispering as she did, "Country roads…"

As for Derek, he felt content, enjoying the moment. With the war soon to start, along with all the troubles in the Supernatural world that were sure to pile up on him, he knew that moments of respite like this were going to be scarce in the next few years.

But being honest with himself, perhaps, just maybe, his road to redemption was finally here.

* * *

 **A/N: To be fair, I had heard 'Country Roads' way before Fallout made it popular, I always wanted to finish a scene with the song and it was a cool coincidence that the lyrics fit with Akio and Derek's special moment. I'm trying to mellow Derek as the story progresses, can't tell if I'm doing a good job with it but I think it works for him, as I do not see him changing a lot, he's very damaged and only agreed to change for the sake of his people. But we'll see where it goes. For now, thank you for reading and see ya lads next chapter, cheers! :)**


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